


All the Odds Against Me

by LegoNinjaBilbo



Category: Rockman | Mega Man - All Media Types
Genre: (more tags to be added), Alternate Universe - High School, Angst, Bass loves his dog, Bassblues - Freeform, Blues goes by Proto at first don't worry it won't last forever, Blues has a lot of health problems, Character Development, Depression, Dr. Light's A+ Parenting, Dr. Wily's A+ Parenting, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Everyone wants Dr. Cossack to adopt them, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Sibling Rivalry, Take my garbage mind-mess, Tension, Zero is an asshole, featuring Denny's and Sheetz, he gets better though, slowburn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-16
Updated: 2019-10-01
Packaged: 2019-11-20 19:01:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 28,326
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18130706
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LegoNinjaBilbo/pseuds/LegoNinjaBilbo
Summary: Bass didn't know what to expect from sophomore year of high school, and making a friend was the last thing on his list of possibilities. Yet there was something about this guy... Something about this damn hipster boy that Bass felt drawn to. Maybe it was the fact that they were both the biggest misfits in the school, or perhaps it was the fact that both boys have faced the emotional trials and tribulations of being subject to shitty parenting.Whatever it was, Bass' life was about to change, and he didn't know if it was for the worse or the better.





	1. The Mysterious Hipster

**Author's Note:**

> Each chapter will be about 1,000 words long, because that's how I roll. Normally I don't upload incomplete fics in progress, but I'm still deciding to upload it because BassBlues needs more love and content. 
> 
> (Also sorry if it feels rushed at times, I've mostly been writing this on mobile during school. Don't expect perfection from me lol)

Bass couldn't believe this.

With his brother, Zero, being a senior and Bass himself being a sophomore this year, it was right to assume that they wouldn't have any classes together. Yet apparently, their school had other plans for the Wily brothers. The two were placed in the worst possible class together, and that was gym.

It could have been any other class, but no. It had to be the most competitive, humiliating, and stressful part of high school.

Bass and Zero already had trouble getting along. The pair were often neck to neck in a never ending battle for their father’s approval, which had always belonged to Zero. However, that didn't stop Bass from trying his damned hardest for any sort of family recognition. Though it was tough not being the first born, good looking, perfect son that Zero was. Yet Bass prided in being different, and if there was one he knew for sure, it was that Bass looked tougher than his brother's “pretty boy” complex.

Sitting high in the bleachers alone, he glared at the back of his Zero’s head before turning his attention to the gym doors. Bass saw most of the mediocre nobodies walk on in, but then there was someone... different. Someone Bass had never noticed before.

The first thing about this guy was that he looked like a total hipster. He had a style combination of everything before the year 2000, and Bass couldn't tell if it was stylish or a complete wardrobe disaster. Yet there was no doubt that his hair situation was fucking _ridiculous._ Who the hell wore a pompadour unironically anymore?! Just this guy apparently… The rest of his outfit was more subtle compared to his hairstyle. Buttons and patches decorated a faded grey denim jacket, which was worn over a red sleeved baseball tee. His jeans flared a little at the bottoms, and his kicks were the typical red high-top converse. However, what stood out from this whole look was a long, yellow scarf that trailed behind him, and a dark pair of strange looking sunglasses.

Yes, Sunglasses.

 _Indoors_ nonetheless.

Bass couldn't look away, who the fuck was this guy? He must be new, because there was _no way_ that Bass wouldn't have noticed him before. He watched as the hipster boy went and sat in the first row of bleachers, leaning his shoulder against the wall. Bass expected him to get out a phone or book, or _something,_ but he just sat there spacing out.

_What a weirdo_

Bass’ attention on the boy was stolen away by none other than Zero, who appeared suddenly in his peripheral vision. Without even looking at him, Bass gave Zero their typical greeting.

“Fuck off.”

Zero snorted and sat down next to him.

“I saw you staring at the new boy.”

Bass narrowed his eyes.

“Yeah, what of it?"

“He's out of your league,” Zero spoke like it was a warning. “So don't you even try to talk with him.”

Bass rolled his eyes, frustrated at what he was implying.

“Who said I ever wanted friends?!”

Zero smirked and responded.

“I _know_ you want friends, Bass, but you're just too pathetic for anyone to stick around you.”

In a flash, Bass grabbed a chunk of Zero's hair and yanked, grinning widely when his brother yelped. The sound attracted the attention of a few other students. However, Bass’ victory was short lived when Zero responded by trying to flick his _open eye_.

“ _Agh!_ You bitch!”

More students turned their heads towards the commotion while Bass tried not to rub his irritated eye.

He could _not_ risk messing up his eyeliner.

And apparently Zero wasn't feeling merciful enough today to let Bass recover, because his arm was suddenly grabbed and twisted behind his back.

_Oh that is IT._

Bass turned his head enough spit with perfect aim at Zero's face. As soon as the saliva made contact, the older brother immediately let go and stepped back with a mortified expression.

“You're fucking disgusting, Bass!”

Bass let out a cold laugh as Zero wiped away the spit with his red flannel before tying it around his waist. Their classmates were still watching them with anticipation and some giggling amongst friends: Bass rolled his eyes at them before turning back to Zero.

“Since when have you cared who I talk to?”

Zero gave his brother a stern stare.

“That new boy is the middle son of Dr. Light. He also has an older brother in my grade.”

_Dr Light…_

Bass crossed his arms, looking down at the supposed son of Light before responding.

“How did you find all that out?”

Zero smirked, answering the question as he walked away.

“Dad told me.”

With that, Zero casually made his way to the bottom of the bleachers, leaving Bass full of irritation and questions. _Of course_ Wily told Zero, he tells Zero _everything_. As for Dr Light, Bass wanted nothing to do with that old prick. Yet despite his father’s rivalry, why did Bass still feel this strange tug on his soul to talk to that boy?

His train of thought was interrupted when the bell rang for class to start. Bass let out an annoyed huff when the gym teacher strut in through the doors, but was stopped by that damn mysterious hipster.

Bass watched carefully as boy in shades spoke quietly as he gave the teacher a packet of yellow paper. The gym instructor nodded along with whatever the new student was saying. Bass drummed his fingers against the wooden bleachers as he waited for the unknown conversation to end. When the teacher walked away towards the rest of the class, Bass sighed in anticipation for one of those boring ass “first day of school introductions!” _Fucking crock of shit-_

“Good morning first period, I am Mr Stag, now please be silent as I do attendance.”

Bass was about to sigh again, but then realized that he would find out what the mystery boy’s name is. Tapping his foot impatiently, he waited, and about a dozen nobodies later: Mr Stag stuttered.

“Bl- er… Proto Light?”

The boy in shades merely rose his hand, and Mr Stag moved on to the next name.

“X Light?”

A boy with generic, rich brown hair and a blue hoodie announced his presence, and Mr Stag once again moved on.

 

_Proto and X_

 

There names were just as strange, if not stranger, than Bass and Zero’s. Though a big question was just answered, it was replaced with Bass wondering what Mr Stag was hesitating about. Maybe Proto was just a nickname… 

“Bass Wily?”

Bass’ head snapped up to meet the eyes of the gym teacher before saying “here,” and after Zero did the same, Mr Stag droned on about class expectations. Bass zoned out for most of it, catching only a few things Mr Stag was actually saying. The only important statement heard was when he announced that the rest of the time was theirs.

Bass pulled out his phone: he had some research to do.


	2. The No-Chill Geometry Teacher

Turns out Proto Light had social media.

Though the only platform he seemed to have was Snapchat, which displayed his name as “Proto” with the sunglasses emoji. And if the melodramatic username _“blues@midnight”_ was anything to go buy: Bass felt safe to assume this was him.

With his thumb hovering over the option to add Proto as a friend, Bass hesitated. Was it really worth it? What if the Light children were the same as their father? That wouldn't go over well with his family if they found out Bass "befriended" a Light. Then again, Bass wasn't a coward, and was perfectly capable of facing his problems.

_Fuck it_

Bass needed something different, and if he was gonna try to make an acquaintance, it sure as hell was going to be the biggest misfit besides himself. After tapping the add option, Bass glanced down at the hipster boy, who still looked spaced out.

For a moment, Bass spaced out too.

Why, why, why…

Why was he drawn to this guy _so much?_ So much that Bass impulsively sent a friend request on social media, which he didn't do often. Normally he would just receive mindless requests and accept them, not send them out.

Well whatever, maybe Proto would take it as a mindless request. Bass felt comforted by that idea.

His train of thought was interrupted when the bell rang. Pocketing his phone and pulling out a schedule from his pack pocket, Bass looked at what his next class would be and let out an annoyed huff. His next three classes were core classes, and Bass was baffled at how he kept on being put in accelerated courses despite never doing his homework. Sure, the subjects came easy for him, but shouldn’t the people in charge of scheduling take the hint that he hates all the extra work involved? Ridiculous…

Bass navigated through the halls to second period: accelerated geometry. Now out of all the pointless classes that are required to graduate, Bass has always found solace in math. It was easy, and the best part was that numbers didn’t involve any pesky emotions like english or history.

When he walked in through the doors of the class, Bass made his way to a desk in the back and sat down. Scanning the other students in the room, Bass felt a twinge of frustration that he was surrounded ditsy popular people. They stared back at him with distaste of their own. Bass rolled his eyes before shifting his gaze to someone who seemed to be approaching him. It wasn't a friend, but it wasn't a total stranger either. His name was Seth, but people liked to call him the shadow man, often comparing his stealth and silence to a ninja. Both him and Bass liked to work independently, but when partner work was required, they had this silent agreement to work together. Both were ambitious in their own ways, thus a mutual respect formed between the two.

After about two minutes of impatient waiting, the bell rang and the teacher stood up, adjusting his purple button up and yellow tie.

“Good morning, second period, I’m Mr Vile. Be quiet through attendance so we can get this over with.”

When Mr Vile finished, he set his clipboard on the desk before standing tall in the middle of the class. His black hair was slicked back and his eyes held a dominate gleam.

“Now in case you lot can’t read letters, this is accelerated geometry. Meaning that if you can’t keep up, I _will_ drop you down. No second chances.”

Many of the students tensed and shifted their eyes to each other, some raising eyebrows in disbelief. Bass on the other hand liked this system, and glancing over at Seth’s relaxed composure, Bass could tell he felt the same. Mr Vile continued.

“As for class expectations, you will be silent when I teach; you will arrive on time; and there will be no bargaining for extended deadlines or curved grades. I'm not accountable for your failure."

Mr Vile paused as everyone processed his expectations. Unlike the majority of his peers, Bass had a good feeling about this no filler, no sugar-coated class. Well, aside from the sneaking suspicion that he would hand out a lot homework.

“Are there any questions?”

There was a tense silence throughout the room, as if everyone was too afraid to ask the wrong question. After an awkward moment, Mr Vile nodded and sat down at his desk.

“The rest of the period is a silent study hall. We start on the curriculum tomorrow.”

For the rest of the period no one dared to talk up till the bell rang. Everyone was in a hurry to get out of Mr Vile’s classroom, and in the midst of the haste Bass heard his name called.

“Bass Wily.” It came from the man at the desk. “Come here for a second.”

Bass tried not to express his confusion as he made his way past bustling students towards the front of the class. Once everyone exited the room, Mr Vile gave Bass a cold stare.

“I’m not sure if you know this, but I had Zero as a student two years ago in this class.”

Bass tensed hearing his brother’s name. Mr Vile continued.

“I am going to warn you now, Mr Wily, if you behave _anything_ like your brother did in this room, I will make sure you-”

 

_“I’m not Zero.”_

 

Bass took a breath from his abrupt interruption, and Mr Vile waited patiently.

“I’m nothing like my brother. I am better than he will ever be, and I’ll prove it if I have to.”

Bass didn't think he would every see Mr Vile with any expression besides disinterest, but on the teacher's face was a small grin.

“Good. You are dismissed.”

With that Mr Vile turned towards a pile of papers on his desk, and Bass made his exit.

Anyone who disliked Zero was a respectable person in Bass’ perspective, and if a teacher hated him, that was all the better. Bass didn't realize he had a smirk on his face as he walked through the halls.

He couldn't _wait_ to prove himself better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter felt like filler, but I still wrote it so whatever man. Just gotta make Vile a math teacher sometimes, ya know?
> 
> Also fun fact: I named Proto's username "Blues at Midnight" after a great Blues song by B.B. King


	3. Attitude and Sass Meet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bass and Proto finally "talk" !!!

Proto Light came in late to Bass’ fourth period history class.

Mr Storm paused in his introduction and all eyes were on the fashion disaster in the doorway. If Proto was uncomfortable, he didn't show it. His shades hid any clear emotion, and Bass found this a tad frustrating. Mr Storm glanced at his attendance sheet before speaking.

 

“Are you-

“Proto Light.”

 

That was the first time Bass heard him speak, not expecting his voice to be as strong as it was. Mr Storm seemed a little bit taken aback by the interruption, glancing at the attendance sheet again. He looked confused, but brushed it off and continued.

“Yes… This is your first year here, correct?”

Proto merely nodded before making his way to a desk in the back.

Of course the only free desk was next to Bass. It always was.

He tried to study Proto subtly, but Bass had a feeling that he was being obvious. He decided to just give Mr Storm his attention as he went over class expectations, despite hearing this boring teacher introduction shit all day.

“This class shouldn’t be difficult.” Mr Storm spoke with a calm, but very present voice. “I barely hand out homework, but I will ask you to please put effort into classwork. I teach in powerpoint lectures, and I’ll send them out via email, so notes won’t always be necessary.”

Bass, along with the rest of the class, seemed on board with this teacher’s system. That is until Mr Storm announced the next part…

“A common thing we do throughout the year in this class are group projects. You must work with two to five people,” Mr Storm got a stern gleam in his eyes as he scanned over the students. “and if you decide to work on your own or exclude anyone, there will be consequences. I don't want anyone here to be neglected.”

Bass wanted laugh. Was this guy actually serious?! It took a moment for Bass to realize that the room was silent and all eyes were on him.

 

Maybe he did laugh out loud after all...

 

“Is something funny back there?”

Mr Storm spoke with an unimpressed stare, and Bass felt his attitude get the better of him.

“Yes, actually.” Bass spoke with a matter-of-fact tone. “Don't you think it's a _bit_ too late for people here to change?”

Silence.

“Because if you think negligence can be undone: you're _wrong.”_

For a moment, everyone stared speechlessly at Bass, who's cold gaze met Mr Storm’s. The tension was cut by the teacher's calm voice.

“You're right for implying that you cannot change the past. But I've seen even the loneliest people who recovered from negligence.”

Bass felt his anger rising as he glared at Mr Storm.

“How can you recover when the whole world is against you non stop?! Your precious little teamwork system…” Bass scoffed. “Don’t be forcing toxic partnership and expecting anything good to come out of it.”

Mr Storm sighed, casually leaning against the white board behind him.

“Bass, I’ll give you credit about the fact that I don’t know a _thing_ about any of you yet. I don’t know what all my students have been through, and frankly, I may never know. It’s none of my business.” Mr Storm shifted his gaze to the rest of the class. “But I _do_ know how the world works. You will find yourself in situations that you can’t get out of alone.” The teacher then smiled, returning his sights back on Bass. “Think of these group projects as a task to prepare you for those type of events, because they will happen.”

Before Bass could continue arguing (even though by this point he already lost the debate) Mr Storm spoke again.

“Now moving on, I haven’t even got to the curriculum yet.”

Bass released a quiet huff of annoyance as Mr Storm started explaining the material they would learn each semester. He stared blankly out the window, a soft breeze made the trees sway slowly, almost soothingly… Bass’ brief moment of peace was broken when he saw abrupt movement from the corner of his eye. Taking his gaze away from the trees, Bass shifted his eyes towards Proto, who was facing forward with his head lazily resting on his hand. Then something on the side of his desk caught his eye that wasn’t there before.

 

A note.

 

Bass looked over at Proto suspiciously before returning his attention to the small piece of ripped notebook paper. He opened it to find small, messy handwriting.

_Is your username “alwaysforte” ?_

Proto must have seen that he added him on Snapchat. Bass reached in his pocket and pulled out a worse-for-wear pencil he found on the ground earlier and wrote a response.

**_Yeah. What of it?_ **

Making sure that Mr Storm wasn’t looking in their direction, Bass crumbled the note and tossed it onto Proto’s desk. The boy in shades almost immediately opened it, got out a pencil, responded, then waited a moment before tossing it back.

Bass opened it.

_It's fitting with your kind of attitude._

He felt himself glare at the note, apparently this Proto guy was full of sass. Bass scrawled his reaction.

**_Got a problem with that?!_ **

Proto received the note, wrote, then tossed it back over.

_Did I say it was a problem?_

The nerve of this guy! Of course sass was going to make him difficult to have a clear argument with… Bass decided to change the subject.

**_I'm surprised you know what forte means._ **

This time when Proto read the note, Bass saw him smirk out of the corner of his eyes. Finally, some fucking emotional response. When Bass received the note, he opened it quicker than before.

_What can I say? I like music._

There was something so casual and human about the response, Bass couldn't tell how he felt about it. People never talked to him like that.

Proto and Bass continued back and forth  


**_Are you in band or something then..?_ **

_No. Not allowed_  


Bass squinted his eyes in confusion.

 

**_Why?_ **

_Not telling you. Don't take it personally._

**_Whatever._ **

  _Dramaqueen_

**_Fuck you_ **

 

Proto hesitated before writing.

  


_What lunch do you have?_

**_C lunch… Why?_ **

_Nevermind._

  


Bass’ eyes shifted towards Proto, who looked back at him. Bass raised his eyebrows in question and Proto just shrugged innocently.

They turned away.

  


**_Uh huh sure. Why are you talking to me in the first place?_ **

_Idk why are you talking to me?_

**_Just answer the damn question._ **

  


Proto was about to write his response, but then the bell rang. _Of course_ the bell had to ring. Proto put the note in his pocket and merged with the crowd leaving the classroom. On the other hand, Bass took his time leaving, checking his phone as he did so.

His eyes widened a little when he saw two Snapchat notifications.

Proto added him back, and he left Bass a message.

Without a second thought, Bass opened the text and read it.

 

_I'm talking to you because we have something big in common._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You're goddamn right Storm Eagle is going to be that rad history teacher


	4. The Very Dope Dr. Cossack

For the rest of the day, Bass couldn't stop thinking of Proto’s message. They barely knew a thing about each other, and yet Proto found something -apparently something big- that they had in common. It wasn't until eighth period english that Bass saw him again. As usual, Bass sat in the back corner of the classroom, taking in his surroundings and watching other students fill the remaining desks. Just seconds before the bell rang, none other than Proto Light walled through the door. Like fourth period, the only free desk in the back was next to Bass, and Proto decided to sit in it. There wasn't any time to confront him about the message, because the teacher immediately began attendance. When he finished, the english teacher smiled widely at the class.

 

“Привет! Меня зовут микеал Косак.”

_...What the hell?_

 

Most of the class had the same blank, confused expression that Bass wore himself. Some students double checked their schedules to make sure they were in accelerated _english_. Meanwhile the teacher let out a hearty laugh.

“After all my classes, it never fails to amuse me!” He said, a sharp accent present in his words. “Let me start again. I'm doctor Cossack, and yes, I _am_ qualified to teach english, despite my first language being Russian. The only thing I have trouble with is your American slang, so you will have to fill me in when we encounter it. Now then-!”

Dr Cossack went over to his desk and picked up a stack of papers. He proceeded to pass them out as he gave directions.

“I am sure you are all sick of hearing long introductions all day, so I will go over our curriculum tomorrow. For now, I would like you to fill out this personality survey. This will help me figure out what type of students I'm working with here.”

Despite the tedious assignment, Bass was relieved that he wouldn't have to sit through another “rules and expectations” speech. Bass easily filled out the front side, asking about personal interests. When he flipped the worksheet over, Bass immediately noticed more family and psychological questions. Bass tried to go out of his way to be a smartass and vague.

 

**Siblings?**

_Unfortunately_  

**Do you have a job?**

_Don't call me out like that_

**What is your biggest pet-peeve?**

_People_

**What is the best method for you to learn?**

_Using my brain, obviously._

**What do you want to do after high school?**

_Never come back._

**Any health issues I should know about?**

_Does not minding when I die count?_

**How many languages can you speak?**

_English, German, and dank memes_

 

There were a few other questions Bass answered honestly, but overall, he was proud of his smartalec answers. Bass finished around the same time as some other students did, who took their papers up the Dr Cossack’s desk. He followed suit and placed his in the pile before walking back his seat. When Bass passed Proto, he saw him filling out a rather elaborate answer in the health issue question. He tried to peak at what it said, but apparently Bass lacked in stealth skills. Proto wasn't afraid to call him out on it.

  
“You’re not very good at being subtle, are you?” 

He said it more as a statement than a question while Bass scoffed and sat down at his desk.

“Like you’re any better! You’re a fashion disaster of everything before the year 2000.”

Bass was baffled to hear Proto laugh at his insult. Even if it was quiet, it was still there. Some people turned their heads towards the two misfits, confusion written on their faces before going back to their worksheet. What Bass didn’t notice was that Dr Cossack was watching the exchange with great interest. Proto faced Bass and spoke.

“I could say the same to you, because I don’t see anyone else around here wearing a black leather jacket with grey _sweatpants_ of all things.”

Bass glared at Proto.

“Like I care about your opinion, Hipster boy.”

Proto just chuckled in response and Bass huffed, both turning away and facing front again. Bass browsed mindlessly through social media while Proto finished his worksheet. Around the last five minutes of class, Dr Cossack made his way towards the back of the classroom, sitting in an open desk in front of Proto and turned to him.

“So it’s ‘Proto’ this year, yes? How are your siblings doing?”

Proto nodded and answered with a simple “good” and Bass stared at them blankly. Cossack must be a family friend of the Lights.

Great… Bass had a feeling that wouldn’t go over well for him, being a Wily and everything. Though apparently that wasn’t the case, because Dr Cossack turned to Bass and wore a friendly smile.

“And Bass! How is your brother?”

Bass glared at the doctor. He must have had Zero as a student.

“He’s still a fuck-face and I hate him.”

Instead of scolding Bass for his rude remarks, Cossack let out a nervous laugh with an amused glint in his eyes. His accent was thicker when the doctor proceeded to whisper.

_“Don't let the authorities hear you talk like that.”_

Bass snorted.

“I'll say whatever I want.”

“Well,” Cossack said. “Can't say I didn't warn you. In any case, I'm glad to see you two in my class this year.” His eyes got a mischievous gleam. “You seem to be getting along well.”

Both boys knew what he was implying, and spoke against it immediately.

 

“I don't have friends!” - “We’re not friends.”

 

They spoke in unison, and Bass turned towards Proto with distaste.

 

“Hey shut up, hipster.”

“Do you even know what a hipster is..?”

“Um, you. Obviously.”

“That's not-”

 

“Boys, boys! Enough arguing. I was only saying that it is… Nice.”

The doctor continued in a softer tone, not looking at anything in particular. “It’s nice to see you two talking, even if it is not the most friendly sounding conversations.” He paused. “You two coming from such different, yet in a way such _similar_ families... It gives me hope.”

Cossack trailed off and the two misfits remained silent. Bass wanted to argue. He wanted make it clear that nothing could compare to his nightmare of a home. The only thing he could recall hearing about the children of Dr Light was that they were part of one of those high strung families. That was not a damn thing similar to what Bass had to grow up with his whole life, and he wanted to scream it.

But he couldn’t.

Bass felt an unfamiliar tug on his heart, and he didn’t know why. It felt _wrong._ It felt like the anticipation before one of Wily’s punishments, as if he was breaking an unspoken law. The sensation got more intense when the bell rang, and Bass nearly bolted out of the room, but his arm was grabbed before he could reach the door. It was Proto.

“Hey, we still need to talk.”

The text message. Right.

But Bass needed to leave _now._

“I… I need to go.”

With that, he backed away from Proto and left the room, hastily making his way through the halls to the nearest exit. Bass felt like he was suffocating the longer he was in the building, his ears rang in the commotion of student’s loud conversations and bustling about. Once Bass set foot outside, a breath of fresh air calmed his mind enough to think clearly again.

 

~~~

 

On his walk home, Bass relaxed significantly from his close-call meltdown. Though it was freaky this time, because the only type of meltdowns he would ever have were anger related, but this time it felt more like… 

Panic. Fear. _Anxiety._

 _That_ wasn't a good sign. Bass wasn't weak, and if he was it wouldn't end well for him. As Dr Cossack's words rang in his head, it made Bass feel nauseous. It was just too much to take in, for Bass to even _fathom_ being friends with a child of Light, he couldn’t begin to imagine what kind of trouble he would get into if Wily found out. Though that shouldn’t matter, because Bass wasn’t intending on making a friend. He would only settle for an acquaintance and nothing more.

Despite reaching this conclusion, Bass still felt off.

He wanted to see his dog… Treble always made him feel better.

Bass focused on this ounce of positivity as he opened the door to his house. Wily wasn’t anywhere to be seen, so Bass took the advantage and grabbed some food to stash away upstairs. When he opened the door to his room, the siberian husky lying on his bed perked it’s ears towards the sound. Bass smiled when the excitable dog bound off the mattress to greet him.

“Ich vermisse dich!” Bass sunk to his knees to bury his fingers in the husky’s fur, all while Treble went to lick his face. Bass chuckled. “Beruhigen, Beruhigen...”

Bass stood up and Treble bounded back to his spot on Bass’ bed. Plugging his phone to it’s charger, Bass flopped down on his mattress next to Treble and rubbed his eyes. Normally the first day of school wasn’t this exhausting.

Then again, normally Bass didn’t ‘fight’ Zero, debate with a teacher, and talk to a hipster on the first day of school.

Bass buried his face in Treble’s fur, seeking whatever comfort he could as he stroked his grey fur. If this was any indication of how the rest of the year would go, Bass had a feeling sophomore year was going to be the most eventful -and most exhausting- year of his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dr. Wily you fucked up a perfectly good son is what you did. Look at him, he has anxiety.
> 
>  
> 
> Translation Notes:  
> Ich vermisse dich: I missed you  
> Beruhigen: Calm down
> 
> Привет! Меня зовут микеал Косак: Hello! My name is Micheal Cossack.


	5. To the Point

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finally got some writers block, but I was able to push through it and my lack of motivation. Huzzah! Bass and Proto talk about The Message in this chapter oh boy-o

It wasn’t until the sun set that Bass heard Zero come home. Though instead of going up to his room, Zero open his door.

“I told you not to talk to him.”

Bass rolled his eyes and decided to play dumb.

“I don't know what you're talking about.”

Zero raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed and walked over to sit at the end of Bass’ bed. Treble let out a low growl.

“Stop being difficult. It's no use lying.”

Bass sighed. He was so tired, and he had a feeling it wasn't going to go away anytime soon.

“Fine. But I'm not friends with him.” Bass paused: realizing something. “How did you find out?”

Zero smirked, reaching over and ruffled Bass’ hair.

“I hear a lot of rumors about you, idiot.”

Bass swatted his hand away with a huff. He was used to people talking about him behind his back, and frankly Bass didn't care. However, if it was going to mess up his tough reputation, he had a problem with that.

“Well don't always believe what you hear.”

Zero shrugged before standing up to make his leave, but stopped when a very distinguished sound cut through the air.

 

Bass got a text notification.

Bass never received any texts.

 

Zero was quick to snatch the phone from where it lay on his brother’s bed. Bass stood up abruptly and tried to take it back, but Zero had a significant height advantage. It was too late anyways, because Zero already saw who sent him the message.

“Proto, huh? I knew it!”

Zero tossed Bass’ phone on his bed. Bass _-fuming-_ quickly went to grab it, shoving it in his pocket before whipping around and smacking Zero across the face. His brother’s eyes were wide in shock as he brought a hand to where a red mark started to form. Bass hoped it stung.

“Bass! What the fuck is wrong with you?!”

Bass ignored his question and went on to speak his mind, eyes ablaze with anger.

“I don’t know what you plan on doing with this information,” he said, trying not to let his voice shake. “But let me make two things clear _right now:_ Proto is _not_ my friend; and stay out of my fucking life.”

The two brothers stared at each other for a long moment, both knowing what didn’t need to be spoken out loud. Though there was a split second where Bass thought he saw something in Zero’s eyes soften. Yet when he blinked, it was gone. Bass must have imagined it, because Zero never showed mercy. The moment finally broke when Treble jumped down from Bass’ bed and bared his teeth, inching slowly towards Zero. The older brother took the hint and left without another word. When Bass’ door closed, he released a breath that he didn't realize was being held.

With Zero gone, Treble nudged his head to Bass’ hand with a soft whine. Bass sighed and scratched the dog behind his ear.

“Treble,” Bass’ voice was barely audible. “Ich weiß nicht, was ich tun soll...”

(I’m at a loss what to do...)

Bass felt that unwelcome tug on his heart again, and he _hated_ it. Seeking a distraction from dealing with his emotions, Bass took his phone out of his pocket and stared at the notification from Proto. Lying back down on his bed, Bass opened the message.

 

_Are you okay..?_

Bass’ eyes squinted in confusion at the text and responded.

**_Wtf are you talking about?_ **

Proto wrote back almost immediately.

_You looked shaken up when you left school today._

**_Fuck off, I’m fine_ **

_No need to get defensive. It’s okay not to be fine._

Bass stared in shock at how casually Proto could say such a thing, to _him_ of all people. It left a sick feeling in his stomach, that miserable mix of melancholy and bitterness.

**_Well it's not okay where I come from, so leave me alone._ **

This time, Proto didn't respond right away. Bass waited impatiently for a long five minutes before getting frustrated. He sent another text.

**_Why do you think we have something big in common? As far as I know, you come from a completely different situation._ **

This time, Proto did respond. After a minuet of anticipation, Bass received the message.

_Yeah, it's different all right. So stop being dense and hear me out, because I'm not going to text the whole story for you to read._

At the end of the message was a phone number...

 

Bass stared at the text in disbelief. Proto Light was one hell of a guy not to give up an argument with him... In a subconscious daze, Bass dialed the number into his phone, thumb hovering over the call button. Before he could start questioning himself, Bass called the number. He felt dizzy as he waited for Proto to pick up, and it didn't take him long to do so.

 

“... Bass?”

“Yeah..? Who’d you think it is?”

Bass could practically hear Proto roll his eyes at his sarcasm.

“Shut up, I had to make sure. I didn't think you'd call me.” Proto took a breath. “Alright, I'm gonna jump to the point, so listen. Maybe you don't see it like I do, but when you debated with Mr Storm about negligence today, you… The way you talked about it, you talked about it like you've had first hand experience.”

Bass felt a rare sense of dread wash over him.

“What are you saying then?”

Bass’ voice sounded less confident than usual, and he had a feeling Proto wasn't doing much better when he hesitated to answer.

“I, I’m… I'm saying that we _both_ have first hand experience… With being, ya know… Neglected.”

Bass froze. That couldn't be true, the Light family always got the best of everything…

“How- but I thought your family was… Well off? Happy?”

Bass heard Proto sigh.

“Yeah… It's complicated. I don't know if you know this, but I'm the middle child of three other siblings. And I…”

Proto trailed off, and for once, Bass waited patiently for him to continue.

“You're not someone who likes to gossip, are you?”

Bass was caught off guard at this out of the blue question, but he answered nonetheless.

“Ha! As if,” Bass scoffed. “Normally I'm the subject of gossipers. And did you forget that I don't have friends to talk shit to?”

Proto let out a nervous chuckle.

“Another thing we have in common then.”

Bass’ eyebrows rose at the response. Proto continued.

 

“Anyways, out of my siblings, let's just say I'm the… Different one. I'm not the perfect, athletic, healthy son like my brothers, or optimistic like my sister, because…” Proto seemed to struggle to find the right words, as if he had to put effort in not oversharing himself to make his point. “Because of ah, _situational reasons,_ my dad treats me different, but not in any good ways.” Something in Proto's voice started to shift, anger began to linger at the edge of his words. “He doesn’t approve that I _begged_ him to go to public school. He doesn't like that I’m depressed, that I'm such a loner, that I’m a _misfit-”_

“I know how that feels…”

 

Bass mumbled, making Proto pause. In the moment of silence, Bass decided to fill it.

“You’re not one of the mainstream misfits, are you?”

Bass sounded like he was making a statement, and there was no hesitation in Proto’s answer.

“Yes, That’s... Actually a perfect way to describe it.”

Bass grinned at the complement.

“Yeah, well you know I’m not totally clueless.”

Proto let out an amused huff.

“Sure, you tell yourself that-”

“Hey!-”

 _“Anyways,_ back to the point,” Proto continued from his earlier rant. “This is going to sound lame and whiny, but my dad truly doesn't understand. He's such an optimist, and when something threatens his happy world, he gets paranoid. _Too_ paranoid, to the point that he will try and hide my existence.”

Bass’ eyes narrowed.

“Hide your existence..?”

Proto chuckled bitterly.

“He doesn't want me to gain a bad reputation and spoil the family name, but… He also just wants to protect me.” He paused. “Like I said, it's complicated.”

The two were quiet for a moment, lost in their own thoughts. Bass didn't think Proto would want him to press the issue further, but the curiosity was eating away at him.

“Protect you from what?”

A tense span of silence followed Bass’ question, and he was about to check if Proto hung up on him, until a barely audible voice answered.

 

“Myself…”

_..._

“What-”

“Don't..! Just, don't...” Proto sounded stressed in his response. “I think I've said enough about myself…”

 

Bass took the hint and decided to lay off Proto’s business.

“Alright, then… We don't have to talk about it anymore.”

Bass spoke quietly, and he heard Proto sigh.

“Yeah, that's a good idea.” He hesitated. “Thanks, for uh… Listening to me.”

Bass narrowed his eyes. Instead of a quick and easy response, he decided to ask more questions like the loudmouth he was.

“Why me?”

Bass grimaced slightly when he heard Proto let out a irritable sigh.

“Do I have to spell it out for you?! Not a lot of people our age have this shit in common, asshole. Because don't you… Don't you sometimes feel like you're going insane? Because no one else, ya know, _gets it?”_

Bass pondered on this thought. It was true… No one really understood, and if they did, it was often an argument about ‘who has it worse’ or some bullshit. In a daze, Bass spoke softly.

“Yeah, It is maddening, isn't it..? I mean, you learn to deal with it on your own, to put on an image, but-”

“It's makes you miserable and lonely?”

Bass smirked.

“Something like that.” He paused. Bass didn't want to go into his deep emotions with this guy he just met. Though, maybe someday he would, but Bass didn't want to think that far.

“Also don't go underestimating my badassery after this conversation!”

Bass heard Proto scoff, what he didn't know was that the boy in shades wore a grin on his face.

“Is ‘badassery’ even a word?”

“Um, ever heard of the urban dictionary?”

When Proto laughed, Bass felt a strange sense of relief. This guy seemed so…Lonely. So full of bittersweet feelings. Bass wanted to say something about it, but he forced himself to stay quiet. Yet the mood fell back down when Bass heard abrupt movement from the other end.

“I gotta go,” Proto was suddenly speaking faster, and quietly. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

 

Before Bass had a chance to say goodbye, Proto had already hung up. With a sigh, Bass rested his phone next to him and stared up at the ceiling, absentmindedly stroking Treble’s tufts of fur. Bass almost questioned if that conversation was real, or if he just imagined it. No one ever talked to him civilly. However now that it finally happened, Bass was left with another new, annoying, unknown feeling...

 

He felt more alone than he had in a long time, and a new sense of longing hung at the edge of his desires.


	6. Denial in Friendship

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yooo Sorry for the long wait, depression can really kick your ass sometimes, but I've been slowly getting better don't worry lol. This chapter is the longest one I've written so far, featuring! : Flirting, pesky emotions, denial, more Dr Cossack, character history, and Roll appears o m g!
> 
>  
> 
> There's a lot to unpack in this chapter, so sorry if it's a mess~ Enjoy!

When Bass decided to approach Proto in gym the next day, Zero didn’t say a word.

 

Sitting down next to the boy in shades, neither one of them looked at each other in a moment of silence. After a few seconds, Bass turned towards Proto.

“That conversation we had last night was real, right?”

Proto remained facing forwards, but wore a ghost of a smile.

“It really didn’t feel real, did it… But then again, if we both remember it, it had to be.”

...

“So…” Bass cleared his throat awkwardly, turning away. “Are we, I don’t know… Uh-”

“Empathy… Buddies?”

Bass tried not to laugh at Proto’s odd suggestion, but he failed miserably.

“Pfft- I'm sorry, but what the _actual_ fuck? Are” -Bass’ sentence was interrupted by his own laughter- _“Empathy buddies?!”_

Proto abruptly turned towards him.

“I don't know! We're not friends, but we're not total strangers anymore. So can you think of anything better?!”

Bass gave Proto an unimpressed stare, raising an eyebrow.

“Ever heard of an _acquaintance?”_

After a brief moment Proto turned away, clearly embarrassed.

“Right… Yeah, whatever, we'll go with that...”

Now a mature person would have noticed Proto’s flustered state and not mention it. However, because Bass enjoyed being an asshole, he decided to call him out.

 

“Ha! You’re so embarrassed-”

“Shut up.”

“You couldn't think of a simple, common word-”

“Shut up-”

“Only _you_ would come up with something like ‘empathy buddies’-”

“Shut. Up.”

Bass then noticed that Proto’s face had a bit more color than usual, his grin widened.

“You're _blushing!-”_

“No I’m _not!”_

 

Proto said this as he adjusted the hem of his scarf, trying to subtly hide his face. Though it didn't work out in Proto’s favor, the darker tint was quite noticeable against his pale skin. Bass continued to tease him, clearly amused and bored.

 

“Your face is pink-”

“No, it's not.”

“You can't hide it.”

“I don't know what you're talking about-”

“Just _admit it,_ dipshit. _”_

Proto let out an annoyed groan, burying his -now red- face in his hands.

“Dude stop--! Just _shut up!_ Oh my god you're gonna actually kill me.”

Bass observed Proto’s actions. There was something innocent about the way he reacted, but Bass could tell Proto was far from nïeave -just sheltered. When Bass snapped back to reality, he didn't realize he was staring, and Proto right back at him.

“Um, so are you done then?”

Bass blinked. There was an awkward tension before he turned away.

“For now…”

Even though Bass was facing forwards again, he could still feel Blues’ gaze linger on him for a moment longer. However, it broke away when the gym teacher called attention to the class.

“Alright! Quiet down-” Mr Stag then proceeded to call out the names for attendance, and after the whole ordeal was over, he went over the game of the week.

“Like I said yesterday, we’re gonna be playing colony-ball this week. Let me explain the rules real quick.” Bass rolled his eyes. It was the same shit every year, and they played colony-ball _every single day every fucking year-_ “-freshmen! You all know how to play kickball, right?”

There was a chorus of ‘duh’ and ‘no shit’ throughout the class, and Mr Stag rose his hands in defense.

“Okay okay, just making sure. Anyways, colony-ball is kickball but with six bases. And an additional role is that you can remain on a base as long as you want, as well as having multiple people on the same base. Understand? It's pretty simple stuff. So come down, line up on the black line and I'll count you off.”

Bass let out a ‘hmph’ as he stood up, he fucking hated this game. His strong suit was arm strength, and this game had none of it. As Bass made his way to the black line, he realized Proto wasn't joining the rest of the class. They made eye contact. Bass rose an eyebrow in question, and Proto simply smirked before turning his attention to his phone.

 

_What the fuck, man..._

 

~

 

By the end of the period, Bass finally found out that Proto wasn't allowed participate in gym. He overheard a student asking the subject matter to X, who mentioned something about his brother having health problems. The student gave Proto a pitying glance before returning their attention to the game. However, Bass just rolled his eyes. It left him with a frustrating amount of questions rather than any sympathy. _What_ were his health problems? And how bad were they that he couldn't participate?

Most importantly of all: _Why the hell_ was Bass so invested in the first place?!

It annoyed the boy to no end, but when he really thought about it, Bass thought he came to a conclusion... Maybe, just maybe, he needed to focus on somebody other than himself. He knew the torture of being trapped in one’s own thoughts and struggles. He knew what it was like to tear yourself apart, failure by _failure…_ Focusing on someone else might help distract him from this toxic reality. Yet at the same time, Bass had trouble giving a shit, so this might not work...

When third period US history came around, Mr Storm wanted to ease into the curriculum, so the first week they were watching a documentary to ‘refresh’ their memories. Bass could honestly care less. Instead, he ripped a piece of notebook paper and wrote a question to Proto:

 

**_I overheard something about you having health problems..?_ **

Bass reached over and placed it on the edge of his desk. Proto immediately picked it up and read it, and his body tensing before hastily writing a reply.

_Who the hell said that?!_

**_Someone asked X_ **

_I'm going to kill him_

**_Cool, I'll watch. Sounds entertaining._ **

Bass saw Proto stare at his response for far longer than it would have taken him to read it. There was a blank expression on the boy’s face, but Bass noticed the tension from his body slack. Slowly, Proto wrote.

_So you don't… Idk pity me?_

**_Um, no? Why should I? It doesn't affect me._ **

_You are probably the first person who thinks that._

**_Well I'm not the average person._ **

 

Bass saw Proto grin before folding up the note and pocketing it, then turning his attention back to the documentary. Bass followed suit, but ended up zoning out for the rest of class.

The rest of the day dragged on in a blur, that is until eighth period with Dr Cossack…

As soon as Bass sat down at his desk, the english teacher approached him with that glint in his eyes he always had. Bass rolled his eyes as Cossack sat in the desk in front of him.

“Out of all my students” -he set Bass’ worksheet from yesterday on his desk- “Your answers were the most amusing for me to read. Truly creative! Can't wait to see your writing style in future assignments.”

Bass didn't really know how to react to this, and instead just stared dumbly at the doctor, voicing the first thing that came to mind.

“You call that creative..?” Bass looked down at his answers. “I'd call that being blunt.”

Cossack smiled nonetheless.

“Ah, but it's _different,_ да?”

“Got a problem with different?”

Bass rose an eyebrow, and the doctor met his gaze evenly.

“Bass,” his voice grew serious, yet calm. “I will _never_ have a problem with anything different.”

With that, Dr Cossack stood up and returned to his desk, leaving Bass speechless. Why were people taking a sudden interest in him this year? He hasn't changed at all, as far as he could tell anyways. Confused, Bass’ eyes narrowed while concentrating on his thoughts. Though the atmosphere in the room still felt off… Shifting his gaze, Bass scanned over the students and --when the hell did Proto get here?!

The boy in shades was sitting at his desk and staring right back at him, for how long? Bass had no idea. Weird.

“Hey, hipster boy” Bass decided to speak up. “How long have you been-”

“What are you thinking?”

Bass stuttered at Proto’s innocent question.

“Excuse me?”

“Dr Cossack. What do think of him?”

Bass gave Proto a suspicious look.

“Why do you want to know? Besides, I haven't… Formed an opinion on him yet.”

Bass knew he gave a bullshit answer, not ready to admit that he actually respected the doctor so far. There was a strange tension in the air as they stared at each other, was Proto gonna respond..?

“So...” Bass decided to continue. “What are your thoughts on Cossack?”

A flicker of a grin showed on his face.

“I've known him for a long time, family friend and all. Dr Cossack and my dad were colleagues once, and his daughter is my sister’s best friend. So I still see him around.”

Bass remembered Proto mentioning he had a sister, and maybe another brother? He couldn't remember.

“How the fuck do you handle, what, three siblings?” Bass scoffed. “I can't handle _one.”_

Proto's grin almost shifted to a real smile.

_Almost…_

“It's not easy, and the only one I actually find good company is my sister. She's kinda my only friend.”

“I think I know what you mean,” Bass intervened when Proto's almost-smile faded away. “My only friend is a siberian husky.”

The boy in shades started to grin once again. “You have a dog? That's somehow fitting for you.”

Bass let out a ‘hmph,’ turning his head away when he smirked. “I s’pose it is…”

After a lengthy pause, Bass faced him again.

“His name is Treble.”

There was a smile this time. Not a smug, shit-eating smirk or grin, but an actual lopsided smile on Proto's face. The reaction sent a wave of accomplishment through Bass.

“Dude,” Proto spoke with enthusiasm. “That's _perfect!”_

Bass’ eyes lit up, his smirk grew into a cocky grin at the compliment.

“Of course it is! Might as well take advantage of my name. Plus it just adds overall _style.”_

Proto softly laughed before speaking, fidgeting with the hem of his scarf. “It's poetic. And even better, it's musical.”

“Ha! Jealous?”

“Of what?”

“That I got stuck with a musical name and you didn't?”

Proto's smile faltered, voice hesitant as he answered.

“Umm… I'll explain later.”

“Huh?-”

“Good afternoon 8th period! Let's get attendance out of the way…”

 

Bass nearly missed his name call, his mind was still stuck on what Proto said. It would make sense. ‘Proto’ wasn't exactly something people named their kids, though neither was X and Zero… Yet watching teacher's reactions to his name on the first day, Bass wouldn't be surprised if the boy in shades had a different name.

“Alright!” Cossack carelessly tossed his clipboard onto his desk with a clatter, then turned back to the students. “As I said yesterday, we'll be going over this class’ overall schedule for the year.”

Bass quietly sighed through his nose, might as well pay attention to the teacher he _almost_ liked…

“So, the main focus is US literature, I'll email you all the list of novels -in order- that we'll be reading. With these stories, you won't just write essays this year, well, maybe one or two. But what I really want to see, is what you all do best. I want to see _passion._ I will only judge your work for english errors, no judgement based on your personality, life, or interests.”

Bass glanced at the class’ reaction to find that everyone was listening attentively. Huh… Shocking. Dr Cossack continued.

“As for class rules, I have one big moral that by default uses multiple common rules. This room is a safezone. If you feel uncomfortable here, or uncomfortable with anyone here, please tell me so I can fix it. If I happen to put you in a group with someone who brings out the worst in you- just tell me.”

Bass rolled his eyes, comfort in school was a useless attempt -a waste of time, if you asked him.

“I only want to feel positive energy here. Now of course, we will read sad stories, we all have bad days -or weeks. _I understand_ that negativity is unavoidable… But as far as treating each other goes, I won’t ignore bullying.”

There was a heavy silence throughout the room, solemn expressions graced the faces of many students, whether they were the oppressors or the oppressed. The only face Bass couldn’t read was Proto’s, eyes always covered… An unreadable mystery.

A _frustrating_ mystery.

When everyone seemed to have processed Cossack's words, the doctor faintly smiled.

“Don’t worry, this class isn’t uptight. I’m not going to make you read fifteen chapters of a book in a week, or monitor your every move. I want to see the best of you, and that normally happens with only a little stress.” There was a pause. “Well, that’s all I have to say to you. The rest of the time is yours! I’ll be at my desk if you have any questions, or if you just want to talk.”

Some of the more popular students got up to greet each other or made their way to Cossack’s desk, asking for more details about the books they’d read. Bass checked the time to see that dismissal was in fifteen minutes… Ugg. Utterly boring and pointless, and he didn’t want to drain his phone’s battery. Bass could talk to Proto, but he felt like he was talking to him, too much… He had to be careful, not wanting to accidentally become real friends with him. Though Bass had an uncomfortable feeling that friendship was a very possible reality, and unconscious to him it was a secret desire.

His internal debate to converse with the boy was settled when Proto decided to start talking to him again.

“Hey, Bass.”

Bass turned his attention from the window towards the boy in shades with a raise of his eyebrows.

“Yeah..?”

“You… _Like_ music, right?”

Bass rolled his eyes, voice dripping with sarcasm.

“No, I just happen to have a musical name, nickname, and musically named dog- yeah no shit I like music.”

Proto held up a hand in defense.

“Alright, chill out, just making sure. I'm… Well, I’m guess I'm just curious, but what genres do you like..?”

Bass glanced to the side, trying to focus his thoughts.

 

“Well,” he said. “I listen to a lot of rock -mostly punk- and… Some classic, I guess… You?”

“Yeah, I like rock too, but then again, I listen to almost everything.”

...

“Like what?”

For the second time that day, the color in Proto’s face darkened ever so slightly. This time, Bass didn't comment on it, rather he watched with amusement as Proto mumbled an answer.

“Mostly jazz… Like swing, and the… Blues...”

He sounded embarrassed, and once again was fiddling with the hem of his scarf. It seemed like a nervous habit of his. Bass smirked, knowing what he was about to say was stupid, but his mouth worked before his brain did.

“... Ya like jazz?”

Bass could only imagine the deadass stare he was receiving from under Proto's shades. Though the silence made him question whether he understood the reference.

“You _do_ know Barry B Benson, right? Bee movie? Dank memes..? … Yeah?”

There was a pause between the two before Proto lifted his scarf to hide his smile and gradually after to muffle his laughter, the fabric covering about half of his -near red- face. It proved to be contagious when Bass turned his head away, forcing back a smile trying to tug at his lips. He managed to keep his cool, taking a deep breath while running a hand through his messy (but totally stylish) mohawk, then turned back to Proto.

“I'll take that as a yes?”

The boy in shades faced him again, loosening the hold on his scarf enough for Bass alone to see Proto's smile.

“As someone who's never allowed to leave my room, I basically _live_ on the Internet.”

Bass sent him a smirk, subconsciously crossing his arms.

“Well? I'm surprised that the guy who listens to old-man jazz music happens to be a memelord.”

“Is it really that surprising?”

Bass scoffed with a roll of his eyes.

“I don't fucking know, maybe. Not like I care.”

Proto adjusted his scarf with a snicker.

“You're such a tsundere.”

“-WHAT!?”

 

About half the class turned their heads towards Bass and Proto, confusion and annoyance written on their faces at the outburst. Bass however didn't give a shit as he continued to stare down Proto, who didn't seem phased by the uninvited attention either.

“Alright then, _hipster boy.”_ Bass tried to control his voice. “Why the absolute fuck do you think I'm tsundere?”

Proto shrugged as he pondered. “I don't know, everyone has a soft side to them. Also you pretend that you don't give a shit about anything.”

“Because I don't-”

“No. It's because you _convince_ yourself that it shouldn't matter if it doesn't apply to you. I…” Proto paused, mumbling the next part like he was talking to himself. “I think you've numbed your emotions to the point that sensitivity got buried under negativity.”

 

… Bass was shook. 

A flurry of emotions ran through his head, dizzying the boy with rage and shock.

 

_..._

_How..?_

_How the FUCKING HELL?!_

 

The bell rang, but Bass still sat there unresponsive as students made their way out of the classroom. Proto remained where he was for a moment before following the rest of the class, and if Cossack didn’t notice the tension before, he certainly did now.

Rage won Bass over, adrenaline buzzing through his veins as his body seemed to move against his will. Before he knew it, Bass was across the room, grabbing the front of Proto's denim jacket and pinning him against the wall. He heard someone shout his name. He felt someone grab his shoulder. However, that didn't falter the fire burning in Bass’ amber eyes, the sunlight from the windows giving them a red sheen.

“YOU HAVE _NO FUCKING RIGHT_ TO GET INVOLVED WITH MY EMOTIONS!”

In their close proximity, Bass could see Proto's eyes look down at him, wide with either fear or surprise. He spoke in a rush.

“I wasn't getting involved! I was just- I was only saying what I saw. you can't deny it!”

Bass tightened his grip as he yanked Proto down to his eye level, he could feel the boy’s auburn hair that lightly rested on his forehead.

 _“I can_ and _I will._ Because I don't want to fucking know what's underneath the wall that I built! I don't want anyone to know!”

Proto was silent as his gaze softened, giving Bass a sick feeling in his stomach. Why did he care? Proto wasn't supposed to care! Wasn't he making that clear?! Bass started to tremble from the clash of frustration and denial, the hands gripping Proto's jacket began to shake. The boy in shades carefully brought his own hands up to release Bass’ hold, and Dr Cossack watched cautiously. Bass bowed his head and squeezed his eyes shut as he gradually let his grip loosen. Proto guided Bass’ shaking hands away from his jacket and brought them together in his own. He forgot how tender gentle gestures felt, and the longing for more was messing with his mind... The boy in shades spoke in a voice that was barely audible.

 

_“Let me help you.”_

 

Bass’ eyes snapped open and his head jerked up to meet Proto's calm, pleading, _pitying_ gaze. He tried to glare through the faint stinging behind his eyes.

_No._

_Not here._

Bass ripped his hands out of Proto's and jolted back, eyes shifting between him and Cossack, who spoke with a voice that was full of patience.

“Bass, it's your choice…” Bass stared at the floor as he tried to stabilize his breathing, and Cossack added on. “Whether you want help or not, I just hope you know that you have people who are willing to offer support. We can't make you do anything.”

Bass shifted his glare up to Cossack, taking another deep breath.

“I just have _one_ question…”

The doctor merely nodded.

“Why, fucking WHY, do you care _so much?_ You just met me!” Bass’ eyes shifted to Proto, who was still leaning against the wall. His voice darkened. “And you… I have a _lot_ of questions for you.”

Bass returned his gaze to Dr Cossack, waiting for his answer.

“It's a long story-”

“I don't care! Just tell me _why!”_

Still silence flooded the room before Cossack began with a sigh.

“I used to work alongside both your fathers as a translator, trying to help them expand their work across the world. Along the way, I learned a lot about technology, culture, and the personalities of Albert and Thomas…” A small smile appeared on Cossack's face. “They were both quite the characters, full of ambition, and very stubborn if you ask me. Though their hearts were in different places… Thomas was an optimist that wanted to change peoples lives. However, Albert’s goals revolved around the money he would get out of it. Though he used to always tell me that the money was for something bigger, something behind the scenes of Albert’s work. Something... That would change the world…”

Cossack stared Bass in the eye, speaking so soft like he was afraid to break the air around them. “That _something_ was your mother, Bass…”

Bass’ heart shattered. He had to steady himself on a desk behind him, his legs shaking.

 

. . .

Bass remembered his mother.

She was the strongest person he ever knew, but at the same time so compassionate to her family and work. Even though she would travel a lot, that didn't falter her determination to be a good parent. She encouraged Zero not to give in to the bullies telling him to cut his hair, and she encouraged Bass not to give into the bullies telling him to stop wearing makeup. Bass remembered watching the same five disney movies they owned together, he remembered her singing voice, and he missed her love.

Bass remembered when she disappeared…

He was eight years old, and Zero was ten. Both never forgot the day they were told that they would never see her again. Everything changed after that. Wily shut himself away, shifting his work focus to the goals of revenge. Zero would help him when he could, but other than that, built up a sturdy reputation that their father was proud of.

And Bass..? He was devastated. He lost a mother, but along with her he lost the rest of his family too.

. . .

 

“...Bass?”

The worried voice of Dr Cossack woke him back to reality, not holding back the pain in his eyes as Bass met the doctor’s gaze.

“So you knew her…”

“Yes, I've met Sabrina.” He paused. “I see so much of her in you.”

Bass tried to cover up his sorrow with whatever anger he had left. His voice started to shake.

 _“Stop it._ I don't want to talk about this.”

Cossack looked pained at Bass’ grief, turning the conversation back to the boy’s original question.

“Right… I'm so sorry, anyways,” Cossack took a breath and faced away. “When she disappeared, Albert lost himself. He started getting in trouble with the law, even the government kept a close eye on him. Thomas was confident he could help him, but it seemed like nothing could bring him back. Albert was the one thing he couldn't save, and that frustrated him. I watched the relationship between Thomas and Albert quickly grow sour after that-”

Bass was starting to get impatient, he _knew_ most of this already.

“-What does this have to do with _me?_ Just get to the point! Why do you care?!”

Cossack met the boy's eyes, looking more serious than Bass had ever seen him so far.

“I care because I worry. You had to continue growing up with an unstable father, who also happened to gain a bad reputation. I can't even begin to imagine coping with everything you went through at that age, all the way up to this very moment.”

Bass stared, closed his eyes, _breathed,_ and opened his eyes. When he felt like he could think clearly again, Bass rose an eyebrow. He was so tired…

“So you worry..?” Bass scoffed. “That's a first.”

He spoke sarcastically, and Cossack glanced at Proto with a smirk, who Bass had nearly forgotten was in the room.

“I don't think _I'm_ the first one to worry about you, Bass.”

From the way Proto tensed, Bass had a feeling he was glaring at Cossack from under his shades. There was a silent tension between the two, and when Bass got bored of waiting, he started to question Proto.

“So, you _worry_ too. Anyone else I should add to this fucking list..?”

Proto looked over at Bass, who crossed his arms as he waited for the boy in shades to speak up. When he finally opened his mouth to say something, a new voice cut through the air.

“There you are!”

All heads turned to the door to find an out of breath X. Though along with him was a blonde girl with a red short-sleeved hoodie, who judging by her height and youth looked like a middle schooler. If Bass had to guess, she looked like she was thirteen. Doctor Cossack greeted them warmly, and Bass glanced back at Proto. He looked like he either wanted to disappear or fight someone, fist clenched and gritting his teeth.

“I'm _fine,_ X.”

The blonde elbowed X in the ribs, earning an annoyed glare from the boy.

“See? I told you! You and dad need to stop throwing freaking fits anytime Blu- _Proto,_ does something on his own!”

“Well sorry for being concerned, Roll! But what if he was alone and his heart happened to-”

“GUYS! I am, right. Here.”

 

It was the most angry Bass had seen Proto so far. Though he couldn't help but feel a wave of relief that he wasn't the center of attention anymore. Even more so that the emotional subject was dropped completely.

Bass calmly leaned against the desk behind him with crossed arms, connecting the dots of the scene in front of him. Judging by the way the girl -Roll, if he heard X correctly- talked about their father, she was obviously Proto's sister, though they looked _nothing_ alike. However, her facial expressions looked eerily similar to the boy in shades… And when she finally noticed that Bass was in the room, Roll smirked at him in the exact same, _frustrating_ way that Proto did.

“And who might you be?”

X’s attention turned to Bass at Roll’s question, staring at him suspiciously. X knew he was a Wily, and seemed to carry an aura of caution around him. Bass rolled his eyes at X before meeting the blonde’s stare evenly.

“That's none of your business.”

Though Roll didn't give up there, putting her hands in her pockets as she made her way next to him, making X fidget. As Bass looked down at her, he added ‘stubborn’ to the list of similarities…

“Why not?”

“Um… Because I don't want you to know?”

“What's your name?”

“...”

“Come on! Should I make one up?”

“... Fine, whatever. My name's Bass.”

 

Roll smiled, she looked excited. 

“Hey cool! My twin and I have musical names too, he's Rock and I'm Roll. Proto's real name is musical too-”

“Roll!”

“What?!”

_I knew it..._

 

Bass had to admit he was mildly entertained by this whole exchange, even though Roll seemed _far_ too social for Bass’ comfort. He glanced over at Cossack, who looked like he felt the same awkwardness of the situation.

“Can't I know more about your friend, _Proto?”_

Roll crossed her arms as she said his ‘name’ in a mocking tone, and Bass intervened.

“Woah hold on, we're not friends.”

Roll looked back up at Bass, disappointment and disbelief clear in her eyes.

“Um, but Proto said-”

Whatever she was going to continue saying was muffled when Proto _bolted_ over to them, putting a hand over her mouth (though she continued talking.) once again, Bass could faintly see Proto’s eyes in the little distance between them. He looked exasperated.

“Don't listen to her. She's dramatic.”

_“Oh, I’M dramatic?”_

Bass could hear Roll’s muffled voice raise as she glared at her brother.

_“X is the drama queen around here!”_

“Hey don't drag me into this! Besides, we should get going…”

“I agree,” Dr Cossack finally spoke up again. “As much as I enjoy your company, it's already 4:15 and I would very much like to go home.” The doctor smiled at the Light siblings. “I'll probably be seeing you around anyways, we can talk some other time. And you can save your bickering for Thomas to deal with -oh! Tell Thomas привет for me!”

Roll yanked Proto's hand from her face, but still clinging to his arm with a smile.

“We will! Take care, Cossack! Come on _Proto,_ I wanna continue watching Gordon Ramsay with you when we get home.”

Proto smiled slightly, he clearly couldn't stay mad at her.

“Sounds fine by me, you'll just have to remind me what episode of Kitchen Nightmares we left off on.”

Bass smirked, raising his eyebrows at Proto.

“Gordon Ramsay?”

“Uh, _yeah.”_

“Do you want to join us?”

 

Bass was taken aback by Roll’s question, and Proto seemed surprised too. Something tugged at his heart at the thoughtful request, but he knew he couldn't accept. Besides, Bass had better things to do...

“Hm, nope. Bad idea. If I set foot on your property, your dad would kill me.”

Roll looked puzzled.

“What..? Why?”

Everyone was looking at him, the air in the room grew tense. Only Roll didn't know, but she would now. Even if Bass didn't tell her, her brothers would.

“Because Dr Wily's my father.”

Bass saw the pieces click together in her mind, eyes staring off into space. It took a moment before she responded.

“Oh, this makes _so_ much sense now...”

Roll looked back up at Bass, her icey eyes hard to read through the array emotions. She let go of Proto's arm to so she could face him, and it took a few seconds before she gave Bass a small smile.

“Don't look so nervous, I don't hate you.”

“I'm not nervous.”

“You sure? Because you seem tense.”

Bass rolled his eyes, how annoying…

“Doesn't mean I'm nervous. Thanks for not hating me.”

Despite giving his thanks in a bitter and sarcastic tone, Roll still nodded enthusiastically with bright eyes.

“Ya know… You seem alright, even though your a Wily.”

“Gee, thanks…”

“-Guys come on, we really should get going.”

“Yeah yeah, we're coming X.”

 

Roll bid her farewell as she made her way to the exit, leaving Bass and Proto’s side. The boy in shades sighed as he watched his siblings start to leave without him, running a hand through his hair before looking down at Bass.

“Sorry about… Them. They can be a little much at times.”

“Better than Zero, that's for sure.”

There was a pause before Proto mumbled, almost shyly.

“I'm sorry for provoking your umm, deeper emotions earlier. I didn't mean to do that...”

Bass narrowed his eyes, but he couldn't bring himself to glare at him. Rather, a small smirk managed to sneak it's way onto his face.

“Hmph, just don't do it again. And I still have some questions for you, so I'll forgive you when you answer them.”

Proto ushered something along the lines of a ‘alright cool-see ya later’ before turning to leave. Though he hesitated at the the door, turning his body slightly back towards Bass. He grinned before bringing a hand up to his face, forming the universal gesture for ‘call me.’ Though Proto still pointed at himself as if Bass needed it spelled out for him… _Yeah no shit I get it._

“Proto!”

“Shut _up,_ X! I'm coming, chill out!”

With that he continued on his way to his siblings, leaving Bass and Dr Cossack, who wished the boy in shades farewell.

“What a dork...”

Bass mumbled to himself, though it still amused the doctor.

“All the Light children are quite interesting, though Proto has always been more different compared to the rest of them.”

Bass nodded, pushing himself off the desk he was leaning on, stretching before making his way towards the door. He was tired as fuck.

“Hey Bass, before you go,” the boy turned his head lazily, meeting the doctor’s gaze. “If you ever need to talk about anything, or if life is giving you troubles, I want you to know I'll do whatever I can to help you, да?"

Bass stared blankly at Cossack before nodding. The doctor smiled.

“See you tomorrow Bass.”

“Uh yeah, see ya…”

Bass left the classroom and strolled through the halls to the nearest exit. He was far too mentally exhausted to even _think_ about everything that just happened back there. Bass would handle his emotions later, because all he wanted to do now was _sleep._ Though there was something that still lingered on his mind…

The way Cossack assured Bass that he would be there for him if shit went down, it made the boy feel oddly comforted, maybe even safe…

It was strange. People worrying, even caring about him.

 

_Huh…_

_That's a first._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bass, my son-my child-my son, saying "Ya like Jazz" is automatic flirting dude--


	7. A Glimpse Into Blues' Life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is in Blues' point of view! (Finally!) Though the next one will probably be in Bass' POV again. Also- this chapter isn't as long as the last one, so it will seem a lot shorter in comparison I guess.

**Blues’ POV**

  
  


When Blues was finally allowed to go to the his room (aka the well furnaced basement,) he found Roll sitting at the foot of his bed.

“Hey, what did dad want to talk to you about?”

The boy in shades walked over and flopped down face first into his pillow -muffling his voice.

_ “I hay-d phis fuhhki-g ‘ouse…” _

“I literally could not understand a _single_ _word_ you just said.”

Blues turned his head to glance at her, 

“I said I hate this fucking house.”

Roll sighed, shifting over so she could lean against the wall, giving Blues more leg space. The boy rolled over onto his back and stared blankly at the ceiling, taking off his shades and setting them on his nightstand. He could feel Roll’s eyes staring at his, it wasn't often that Blues took off his shades. Mitch-matched eyes met bright-blue ice. Roll looked concerned, knowing he was either exhausted or stressed to do something like that. To show himself.

“What happened?”

Roll’s voice was gentile, but worry hung on her question, Blues sighed.

“X told dad about me talking to Bass, and he's, well… He’s not impressed.”

“I had a feeling.”

“Yeah, he… He threatened to make me do cyber school again if I continued talking to him. Like, I know he advised me not to make attachments because I'll probably  _ die  _ any day now-”

“Blues!-”

“-But if that's the case, I don't want to waste whatever I have left in misery!”

He sat up, staring into his sisters eyes.

“Wouldn't you want something more?”

Roll’s gaze softened at Blues’ distressed voice, She looked heart broken.

“Of course…” Roll scooted closer, wrapping her arms around him and rested her chin on his shoulder. “You deserve so much more than this. You deserve more than just me...” 

Blues hugged her back, this whole thing was making him feel emotional, his voice started to waver when he spoke.

“I don't even know what I did to deserve  _ you. _ ”

“You’re such a sap, but yeah, I could say the same to you too.”

They held each other in comfortable silence, their surroundings filled in the quiet air. Feet shuffling upstairs, cars passing by, children playing their games outside. Eventually Roll pulled away and sat back facing him, cross-cross, resting her chin on the back of her interlaced fingers. She seemed eager about something.

“So, let's talk about Bass~”

_ Fuck. _

The blonde drug out her sentence like she was about to engage in a gossip group chat. Blues rolled his eyes.

“What about him?”

“He's interesting.” She tilted her head slightly, eyebrows knit together. “What draws you to him anyways?”

Blues glanced away, eying the charcoal carpet as he answered.

“Well, we're similar… We're both misfits, we're not satisfied with our lives, we both don't have any friends.” Blue lifted his gaze back up to his sister’s. “What more do you want to know?”

Roll was silent for a moment before speaking.

“Do you think he would become friends with you?”

He smiled, a small smile that didn't reach his eyes. “I think he would eventually.” The smile fell. “He's lonely. And bullied pretty bad… I've heard people talk about him when he is  _ right there.  _ They're not subtle, but Bass doesn't even acknowledge them. It's like… It's like he grew an unhealthy tolerance to it over the years, or maybe he has worse things happen to him at home.”

Blues fiddled with the hem of his scarf before gripping it tightly.

“I don't know what to do, or what all triggers him.”

“Well, become his friend and find out!”

Blues smirked at her enthusiasm.

“Easier said than done, just… I don't want to mess it up and hurt him.”

“Blues, you're a super real person, and Bass seems pretty real too. So just be honest and you'll be fine. You're not gonna hurt him.”

“Yeah…” He took a breath. “Yeah, I guess... Thanks.”

Roll grinned.

“No problem, I  _ am  _ the best wingman after all. Now,” she gave Blues a serious look. “We were on episode eight of Kitchen Nightmares.”

 

~~

 

Blues phone rang around the end of episode fourteen. Absentmindedly he checked the caller ID, and seeing who it was sent excitement and anxiety through his veins.

“It's Bass-”

“Bass?”

“Yeah.”

“Well,” Roll’s eyes lit up, turning down the laptop’s volume slightly. “Answer it!”

Blues glanced at her before fixing his gaze at his phone. He answered.

 

“Bass?”

_ “Ja, _ no shit. You told me to call you.”

“Right…”

Bass sounded like he just woke up, voice groggy and more… Accented? Yet slurred at times. Blues wasn't sure how to describe it, but it was different that's for sure.

“You alright?”

“Life fucks.”

Blues let out a light chuckle, Roll staring at him curiously.

“You mean  _ sucks?” _

“Vhatever, same shit.”

“Sure, why not. So do you want to talk about it?”

There was silence on the other end for a moment, Blues glanced at Roll, giving her a nervous look. She gave him a thumbs up. 

“Nie-  _ ugh! No,  _ I'll be fine. I'm just really, really… Sleepy. No. Uh… Fuck!”

An amused smile graced Blues’ face.

“Need help?”

“Fuck you. I'm just… Just… Okay what the _actual_ _hell_ is the english word for verschlafen?!”

Blues was silent as he processed what Bass said. The clues started to click together. He knew the Wilys were German, but he didn't know that German was actually Bass’ first language. Blues heard shuffling, a thunk, then… Typing? Bass mumbled something every so often. He waited patiently for the boy to find his answer…

_ “Drowsy!  _ Fucking--! It sounds so stupid! No wonder I couldn't remember it. Okay,” Bass took a breath. “I'm drowsy as fuck.”

Despite trying to cover it up, Blues couldn't help but giggle.

“Thanks for the translation.”

“Yeah, ha-ha, thanks for the not help.”

“I offered, but you told me to go fuck myself.”

Bass huffed.

“... Yeah. But still.”

There was a pause. Blues glanced at Roll, who was occupied bringing up episode fifteen of Kitchen Nightmares. 

“I didn't know your first language was German.”

“Yeah, there's a lot you don't know about me.”

“I know more than others.”

“Is that a threat?! Because I could say the same to you.”

Blues sighed, Bass was certainly quick to assume rather than assessing the situation. Then again, Blues could also work on his social skills...

“I'm not threatening you. I just…” He forced out the rest of the sentence slowly. “Want to get to know you..?” 

Roll rolled her eyes while bringing a hand to her forehead. Bass was silent for a second before Blues heard the sound of someone trying not to laugh. It made him smile.

“Oh my god you are  _ so fucking awkward. _ ”

“I have a feeling my sister agrees.”

Feeling prompted, Roll grabbed Blues’ hand that was holding his phone and brought it to her face.

“He doesn't know how to talk to people.”

“Roll, give me my phone back!”

“... I mean, she's not wrong.”

Blues yanked his hand out of her grip.

“Yeah yeah, I get it, anyways,” Blues took a breath, trying to focus again. “How do you want to go about, you know...”

There was silence on the other end, in the meantime, Roll drew her attention back to Gordon Ramsay (who looked beyond exasperated.) Eventually, a tired voice spoke up.

 

“You're really not going to give up on me, are you…”

“No way.” A shit-eating grin appeared on Blues face. “I'm never gonna give you up-”

“Don't fucking Rickroll me! This is serious!”

“Sorry, I don't know how to talk to people, remember?”

“Can't you just cut the sass for one second?”

Roll rose her eyebrows at him, and Blues smiled sheepishly. 

“Anyways…”

Bass sighed.

“Yeah, anyways… I still have some questions for you, and I’ll only have this conversation in person. So meet me behind Denny‘s after school tomorrow.”

Blues smile faltered, his voice grew quiet.

“I’m not allowed to go anywhere unsupervised. Even if I try, my dad freaks out and locks me in my room.”

The lengthy silence on the other end made Blues tense, did he say too much?

“... You can’t be serious. You're exaggerating… Right?”

Roll’s expression turned more solemn, Blues tried not to let it bother him.

“Afraid not. The only time I can sneak out is when he travels for work trips.”

“Well, when’s his next trip?”

Blues repeated the question to Roll, who thought about it for a moment before answering. He responded.

“This weekend.”

Bass sighed on the other end, he sounded stressed.

“Fuck, okay. Just make sure you sneak out as soon as you can, because we have a  _ lot  _ to discuss.”

Blues subconsciously nodded. He started to smile again because he was  _ finally  _ starting to get a social life. It made him feel giddy.

“Yeah, I’ll do that.”

“Good. In the meantime, don't spread any rumors or I’ll kick your ass.”

 

He didn’t even have time to respond before Bass ended their call. Roll paused the episode when Blues let his upper body fall back onto his bed. He felt the mattress shift as Roll moved up next to him, looking down and studying his face.

“That was probably the happiest I've ever seen you.”

Blues rose his eyebrows.

“Seriously? That doesn't seem right…”

“Well, to put it bluntly you looked lovestruck-”

“No no no no,” Blues was quick to interrupt, face becoming serious. “Stop right there. Not true.”

Roll giggled, but his poker face didn't falter (a useful talent he was proud of having.)

“Come on, it would be cute!”

“Nope, I just want a friend, not a mess. Besides, Bass and I would  _ never  _ last if we were delusional enough to even date. Half of our conversations are just snarky arguments.” Blues gave Roll a pointed look.  _ “Therefore,  _ bad communication.”

The blonde let out a huff, rolling her eyes.

“Party pooper…” 

Blues smirked as he directed his gaze at the ceiling. He could feel heat in his face, but felt secure enough to know that it wasn't about Bass, rather just the topic of romance. Not that it wasn't an uninvited idea to engage in… To be the center of someone's world, he couldn't begin to  _ imagine  _ how that would feel. Though for Blues, there was always a catch to anything like that. He knew death was waiting around the corner for him, and soon enough would jump out and take him. 

“Hey Blues, you okay? You're glaring at the ceiling…”

Blues blinked and looked up to his sister’s concerned gaze. He closed his eyes and sighed, bringing a hand to his face.

“Ugg… I’m fine, just thinking.”

She tilted her head.

“About what?”

“Eh… It's nothing, just my lack of future ahead of me-”

“Blues,  _ please _ stop talking about it like it's nothing…”

He couldn't bring himself to look at Roll, because Blues already knew how she was staring at him. Pained, pitying…  _ Everyone  _ who knew about his health looked at him like that. 

All but one person.

Blues felt the nausea of heartbreak every time he realized just how  _ badly  _ he wanted to be friends with Bass. Maybe it was impulsive, but now that he had a chance, Blues wasn't going to let it pass him. Though  _ someone _ certainly wasn't going to make it easy. He recognized the sound of slow footsteps before he heard the voice that belonged to them. Blues  _ really  _ didn't want to talk to his dad right now…

 

“Blues? Is Roll with- oh! There you are.”

His voice was light and kind as always, but Blues couldn't find it comforting anymore. He reached over to grab his shades and put them back on while Roll greeted him.

“Did you need something?”

“Can you help me find Rock? He's supposed to help me with dinner.”

Blues felt the mattress shift as Roll got off the bed and stretched.

“Yeah I'll find him,” Roll looked down at Blues. “Don't continue watching Gordon Ramsay without me.”

Blues smirked.

“Don't worry I’ll wait.”

She nodded in response before following their father upstairs. With the lack of company, it was hard for Blues to distract himself from sulking. His mind drifted back and forth from friendship, which would be shot down by death. Yet when Bass got back in his mind, death was ignored again. It was a feverish cycle of thinking that Blues couldn’t break. Desperate to occupy himself, he got out his phone and opened up Snapchat, contemplating for a moment if Bass would text him despite the fact that they just talked. In a brief rush of confidence, Blues wrote the boy a message.

 

_ Hey my mind won’t shut up _

Blues was surprised to see that Bass immediately opened it.

**_Okay..? The fuck do you want me to do about it?_ **

_ Idk I just need a distraction _

**_Isn't your sister with you? Just talk to her._ **

_ She had to go _

**_Well shit_ **

While Blues was thinking about how to respond, Bass sent a photo. When he opened it, there was a picture of a siberian husky lounging. Above him was a caption.

**_Okay, tell me everything great about Treble just by looking @ him._ **

 

Blues felt the corners of his lips lift into a small smile. He just found something so sweet about Bass’ tough exterior yielding for his dog. Blues analyzed the picture, starting with the husky’s expression. Treble certainly looked content. He carried a calm demeanor, all while holding strong dignity in his posture. Though something Blues began to notice was that Treble was unusually large for a husky. If he didn't know any better, he would likely mistake the dog for a wolf. The bright, relaxed, blue eyes were a clear sign that Treble was just as happy around Bass as the boy was around him. 

Blues proceeded to type about Treble. It defiantly steered his thoughts away from the cycle he was in a few minutes ago. When he sent the message, it took a moment for Bass to text back.

**_Idk why he's so big, but hey I'm not complaining. It's metal af when people think I'm walking around with a wolf_ **

Blues smirked, letting out an amused huff.

_ I'm sure you would still look pretty metal on your own _

**_Obviously_ **

_ You could say “thanks for noticing” _

**_Don't fucking give me social lessons, mr “I don't know how to talk to people”_ **

Blues laughed. The way Bass spoke made him wonder if people took the boy too seriously. He was sarcastic, and coldly so, but Blues could see through that.

_ You're fun to talk to _

**_Sure. Very funny_ **

_ Who said I was joking? _

For the next thirty minutes, there was no response from Bass. Blues kept eyeing the yamaha keyboard against the wall of his room, feeling tempted to get up and practice. Music would certainly calm his anxiety... Blues started to question whether he messed up and said something wrong, reading and rereading the recent texts. That is, until a new one appeared.

**_Wait are you actually serious??_ **

_ Why wouldn't I be _

**_Idk it's just weird. Different._ **

_ Is different good then..? _

There was a pause.

  
  


**_Yeah. I think it is…_ **

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe writing slowburn is more painful than reading it (aaaaaaaaaahhgasdfgh----)
> 
> Like, I have so many ideas for when/how they get together but they gotta be friends first, ya know?


	8. Acceptance in Friendship

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyyyy guess who graduated highschool---!!!
> 
> I was mostly writing this fic in classes throughout the year, but now I'll have to just remember to keep writing before bed or something--
> 
> Anyways, enjoy!

 

**Bass’ POV**

 

The weekend couldn't come fast enough. Bass felt like he was dragging himself through the rest of the week. And Proto? Yeah, Bass couldn't read that fashion disaster at  _ all.  _ He was always hiding everything under those damn sunglasses. Though when Friday finally came around, Proto approached him in gym with a grin.

“Hey, so my dad actually leaves at ten tonight, and it takes him about an hour to get to the airport. So I can meet you at eleven behind Denny’s.”

Bass processed the information, nodding slowly.

“Alright… Yeah, that's great. Just don't get followed, cause you kinda catch people’s eye.”

Proto tilted his head slightly.

“Do I? I guess I do stand out…”

Bass couldn't stop himself from laughing.

“You're style is the least subtle thing I have ever seen!”

“You're exaggerating.”

“Am I though?”

Bass said it as a statement rather than a question, smirking while giving Proto a challenging stare. Proto didn't even flinch.

“Um,  _ yeah.” _

Bass rolled his eyes.

“You and your sister are damn stubborn.”

“And you're damn dramatic.”

“Excuse me?!”

Proto smirked.

“Yeah. Exactly.”

Bass crossed his arms, trying (and failing)  to catch a glimpse of Proto’s eyes with his own intense stare. 

“You're such a lil’ shit.”

There was a blank expression on the boy’s face.

“But you're shorter than me-”

“That doesn't mean anything!”

Oh how  _ dare  _ he! Bass wasn't even that much shorter than Proto.

“Besides,” Bass continued. “I'm gonna be taller than you someday anyways, so you can shut up.”

Proto merely shrugged with that dumb smirk on his face before  Mr Stag’s voice suddenly echoed through the gym.

“-Alright! everyone line up, we're playing colony ball!”

Bass rolled his eyes. Time to drag himself through another day… And though he wanted to deny it, he felt excitement bubble in his chest in anticipation for seeing Proto later.

  
  


**~~ 11:00 PM ~~**

  
  


Bass leaned against the brick wall of Denny’s as he waited for Proto, half wondering if the boy was going to even show up. If he didn't show in ten minutes, Bass would just go home. He didn't tolerate people wasting his time. However, about six minutes later, a silhouette with ridiculous hair appeared around the corner, followed by whistle. Treble let out a low growl.

“Treble, nein.”

Treble stopped at Bass’ command, but still stood on guard. When Proto approached, Bass pushed himself away from the wall and rolled his eyes.

“I told you to dress subtle, dumbass.”

Proto stared at him, no damn emotion…

“I can handle myself just fine,” he smirked. “But thanks for worrying.”

“I wasn't worried, but whatever.”

Proto looked down at Treble. He almost forgot to introduce him.

“Um, This is Treble.” Bass looked down at the husky. He couldn't help but scratch the dense fur behind his ear. “Treble, es ist Proto. Sei schön artig.”

The dog stared warily at Proto, seeming to accept that he wasn't a threat… When Bass felt assured that Treble would behave, his attention was back on the boy in shades. (Sunglasses at  _ night… _ What the fuck.)

“We need to talk about what happened after school on Tuesday.”

“I agree.” Proto hesitated. “Can we sit down?”

Bass rose his eyebrows. It didn't take that much energy to stand, but then again, he knew Proto had health problems.

“Uh, sure.” 

Proto sat leaning against the wall, and Bass sat across from him. Treble lied down and rested his head in Bass’ lap, who absentmindedly stroked the husky’s fur. Taking a breath, he went back to business.

“First of all,” Bass stared intensely. “You heard some stuff that no one is supposed to know.”

Proto nodded, his voice solemn and quiet.

“I figured as much... I'm so sorry-”

“Shut up. Anyone would say that.”

“But I'm not  _ anyone!”  _

Bass had to admit he was surprised when Proto’s voice rose. Trebles ears perked in alarm.

“I'm myself. And I don't say empty phrases just to be sympathetic. Trust me,” he scoffed. “I've been told empty words my whole life  _ -stay strong! You're so brave! I'm so sorry!-  _ and it means absolutely  _ nothing  _ in the voice of people who just feel obligated to say these things.”

The air was deathly silent as Proto took a deep breath, but Bass just stared until his voice worked again.

“You have a way with words.”

Proto slightly turned his head away, smiling shyly.

“I, well... Thanks. But as I was saying, I really am sorry about everything. For hearing too much, for your losses…” he paused. “How do you even live with that?”

Bass’ gaze fell to the ground, his heart felt heavy.

“It's like you said, as much as I hate to admit it… I bury my sensitivity under everything. I ignore and deny that there's a problem, despite knowing that's not healthy thinking. But even then, it-” Bass’ breath staggered. He forced the rest of his sentence out, voice suddenly quiet. 

“It still hurts...”

Bass saw Treble look up at him, ears lowered. The husky probably could tell he was distressed, and the thought helped comfort Bass, even just a little. He scratched under the dog’s chin, making his tail thump lazily a few times. Then a soft voice cut through the air.

“I lost my mother too.” 

Bass’ gaze shot up to Proto, who had a hand on his scarf. He continued.

“She died after giving birth to Rock and Roll, I was almost four, X was six. Twins were just too much strain on her health, which wasn't too good to begin with.”

“... Did you end up having the same health problems she had?”

Bass watched curiously as the hand that loosely held the hem of Proto’s scarf trailed down slightly, resting on his chest. 

“Some of them. I have multiple illnesses, but my worst one is valvular heart disease.”

“Valvular heart disease..?” Bass rose his eyebrows. It already didn't seem good just by the way it sounded. “What's that?”

Proto was silent for a moment before answering. “Well, to make it simple, your heart has valves, which regulates the blood flow in and out of your heart. But mine don't allow the right amount of blood to get through.” He sighed. “I can't do anything that makes my heart race, that's why I'm not allowed to participate in gym. It's why my dad has locked me away for so long, because he's afraid of not being there if my heart fails.”

Bass glanced to the side, taking in all the information. So many things were starting to make sense now. Though he would always have more questions than answers.

“That's rough, and… You said there were other problems too?”

Proto nodded.

“My mental illnesses have affected my physical health as well. Depression, and… Well, yeah.”

Bass narrowed his eyes.

“And what-”

“Nothing.”

“You don't have to hide it.”

“But I just met you, and I don't know how you'll react.”

He sighed in defeat.

“Fine, we both have our secrets. Fair enough.”

Proto nodded slowly, turning his head away slightly and spoke.

“Um, was there anything else you wanted to ask me?”

Bass pondered for a moment. There were a few more things he wanted closure on right away.

“Yeah. Dr Cossack answered why he cares about my well-being the other day, but I didn't get an answer from you yet. So,” Bass rose an eyebrow. “Why do you care about me?”

“Because you deserve better.”

“Why.”

Proto fidgeted.

“You don't seem to have an easy life, and as far as I know, you're not at fault for what happened. The fault lies on the people that failed you.”

Bass was shocked at how such a simple answer could be so effective. It was straight forward, and he respected that. For once, Bass felt like he was getting recognition for his hardships. Maybe having one, unhealthy hipster as a friend wouldn't be so bad… With his thoughts buzzing, Bass spoke the first thing on his mind.

“Would you ever fail me?”

Proto, from what Bass could see, looked taken aback at the question. He answered nonetheless.

“Never intentionally. Why?”

Bass turned his gaze towards the yellow glow of streetlights in the distance. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath.

_ I can do this. Just accept it. _

“Are you sure you want to be, um… Friends? With me..?”

Bass opened his eyes and faced Proto again, who looked initially surprised.

“You would let me?!”

Bass couldn't bring himself to say no. He nodded hesitantly, not missing the excited smile on Proto's face.

“So, we're like, actual  _ friends  _ now?”

He nodded again.

“You're serious?”

Bass failed to hold back a grin.

“I literally just said yes, dumbass. But don't get too excited, because I have no idea how this works.”

Bass could hardly believe he would get  _ this  _ far. Much less prompting the approval of friendship.

“Me neither, kinda…” Proto paused. “That might not be a bad thing if we both don't know what to do. We'll learn together, and it will be less embarrassing sense it's new for both of us.”

Bass nodded along.

“You got a good point there. So, what do we do first?”

Proto turned his head away towards the distant street lights, and Bass did the same. It was nearly midnight, but that didn't stop too many cars from flowing in and out of the main city.

“... Wanna go eat shitty gas station food?”

Bass looked over at Proto and grinned.

“I already like where this is going.”

Gently nudging Treble’s head off his lap, Bass got to his feet and offered Proto a hand, who froze for a moment before taking it. The two walked back into the hazy orange glow of streetlights at the front of Denny's. Bass stopped and turned to Proto.

“Got any place in mind?”

“Umm…” Proto looked up and down the street. “There's a Sheetz over at that intersection.”

Bass’ eyes followed where Proto was pointing at and nodded. The two started to make their way there.

“Yo, I bet you five dollars that I alone can eat one if their fry buckets.”

There was a small grin on Proto’s face.

“I'm not giving you five dollars, if that's what you want from me.”

Bass rolled his eyes. How could this guy see through him so easily?

“You're no fun.”

“What's fun about losing money?”

He gave Proto an unimpressed look, the boy just stared blankly back at him.

“You're so frustrating sometimes, ya know that?”

Proto smirked, directing his attention forwards again.

“I guess you could say that.”

_ He's so… Strange.  _

_ Peculiar. _

Bass’ eyes lingered on the boy in shades. There were times when Proto understood his brand of sarcasm, but when he would respond to it on the more literal side, it made Bass question if he actually gets it. Yet at the same time, he always acted as if he knew something Bass didn't... Again,  _ frustrating. _

When they reached the crosswalk, he moved his gaze forwards again. The pair got some strange looks as they entered Sheetz. Probably because Bass refused to leave Treble outside. They were mostly silent while ordering and waiting for their food, but it didn't feel as awkward as he expected. Dare he say comfortable… Bass grabbed himself a can of monster before following Proto outside, sitting on the far corner of the curb. When they started unbagging their food, Bass’ eyes widened when he saw a box of mac n’ cheese bites in Proto’s hand.

“Damn! I forgot those existed- son of a bitch!”

Bass had only ordered a bucket of fries and a soft pretzel, but now he felt like he just made poor life decisions. Proto let out an amused chuckle as he opened the box, but Bass’ inability to sit still had other plans. His arm shot over and grabbed one of the steamy bites, making Proto flinch back in alarm before bouncing back to what just happened.

“Asshole! They only give you like,  _ five  _ of those in total, don't leave me with four!”

Bass knew he had a shit-eating grin on his face as he held the mac n’ cheese bite away from Proto. Though it wasn't very effective, because tall people always seem to have the physical advantage when it came to reaching for things. Despite being stronger than Proto, Bass found himself nearly toppled over trying to keep the bite away from his reach. Their sides were pressed together, Bass using his other hand to try and push Proto away. When nothing seemed to be working, he looked at the bite with determination.

_ Fuck it. _

Bass weaved his arm out of Proto's grip and shoved the mac n’ cheese bite in his mouth.

“Dude,  _ fuck  _ you!”

Bass was about to reply, but he tensed as it suddenly felt like his mouth was on fire. He could feel heat quickly rise to his face, trying to maintain a look of annoyance as Proto began to realize what was happening. The boy grinned.

“Oh, maybe this wasn't so bad after all.”

Bass, unable to talk, flipped him off. Proto just laughed. He turned away, rummaging desperately for his can of monster. Bass hastily opened it and drank till scorching feeling -along with the bite itself- was gone. After regaining his composure, he looked over at Proto with distaste.

“Quit looking so smug. It's not like you planned that.”

The boy’s grin only grew.

“Maybe not... So, was it worth it?”

“Shut up, hipster.”

Proto didn't respond, though he kept smiling, that dork… They ate the rest of their food in what slowly became comfortable silence, with Bass occasionally feeding Treble some fries. Proto would take some too, but he pretended not to notice. Once they finished and threw out their trash, Proto looked down at Bass.

“Now what?”

He checked the time on his phone. 

12:30 am...

Wily was probably home by now, and wouldn't leave for work again until 6:00. Then there was Zero’s schedule, which is just unpredictable. Bass glanced up at the boy in shades.

“How late can you stay out?”

“Well,” Proto thought for a moment. “I have medicine to take at 7:30 am, so I'm fine till then. Why?”

“Wanna just… I don't know, walk around? I really don't want to go home.”

Proto nodded, an understanding smile graced his lips.

“I don't wanna go home either.”

 

~~

 

They ended up wandering aimlessly till the sun started to rise. Bass was surprised that they found shit to talk about the whole time. Though to be fair, they mostly discussed and quoted dank memes, vines, and whatever else the Internet has to offer. 

But hey, it was a start.

The clouds were pink when the pair ended up at the intersection where they would part ways. Both were extremely tired, but content with how their meetup went. Bass proceeded to make a brief farewell.

“Hey, text me later, because I'm too tired to even think right now.”

Proto sluggishly nodded, likely feeling the same way.

“Yeah... See ya later, Bass.”

“See ya, Proto-”

“Blues.”

Bass froze for a moment, tilting his head slightly as he gave Proto a questionable look.

“... I'm sorry, what?”

The boy was turned like he was about to walk away, but paused for a moment as he looked down at Bass with that annoying smirk of his. The rising sun behind him flashed a glint across his shades.

 

“My name is Blues.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They're finally friends! 
> 
> (I was originally gonna end this chapter when Bass was like- "I already like where this is going," but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to write some friendship fluff)
> 
> More shenanigans to come-


	9. Scars and Memories

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey.... I'm sorry for such a long wait, my mental health has been really bad this summer, and I don't know when I'll get better, so updates may take more time till then.
> 
> Another reason why it took a while was that I wanted to post these two chapters back to back because they lead into one another--
> 
> But nonetheless, chapters 9 and 10 are finally here! Enjoy~

 

**Warning: If you find abusive violence disturbing, the subject matter is referenced in this chapter**

 

It was the end of September when Bass noticed a shift in how people were treating him. Ever since he and Blues started hanging around together, it didn't take long for other students to notice how friendly they were with each other. Likely surprised to see that Bass Wily of all people befriended the new guy. Rather than being avoided, some people would actually include the two in conversation, even if it was only brief. Yet on the contrary, some people remained assholes, and were becoming more bold about their teasing. They likely assumed Bass’ heart got soft because he managed to make a friend. What a fucking joke…

Along with that, Bass noticed some more peculiar details of Blues’ actions and demeanor since they became friends. Sometimes when he thinks no one is looking, Blues will fidget. Most of the time it was with his scarf, but other times it would be habits like drumming a pencil against his leg for what seemed to be an infinite amount of time. The fact that he’s new to public school also seems to make him stick out. He doesn’t raise his hand when he wants to speak, and he’s not afraid to call out inconsistencies in a subject or person. 

That lead to the social aspect of Blues.

He was clearly introverted, and not very experienced in social norms. Yet Bass couldn’t help but feel a small spark of pride when Blues expressed himself more around him, as opposed to anyone else. Though there were certain things that Bass did find a little concerning. Sometimes Blues seemed to shut down for a whole class period, refusing to say anything. If he did speak, it wasn’t much and often really vague. So far, Bass just kept his distance. He wasn’t sure what his friend was going through, but he has definitely had moments where social interaction was the last thing he wanted to deal with. On a certain level, he understood, and tried to give Blues his space.

Though of course, not everyone was as understanding. There was still the fact that Blues was new, and was bound to get attention because of it. Some were drawn to his loud fashion sense, expecting an exotic personality to match. Though Bass was always pleased to see the popular nobodies disappointed when they realized Blues was pretty introverted. Even more so, he was pleased to see his lack of interest in making any other friends. Though it didn't stop some people from trying, because finally there was…  _ That  _ group of girls.

That small -but very present- group of flirts that were way too desperate for their own good. Apparently, Blues was attractive enough to catch their eyes… One of the girls would approach him  _ at least _ three times a week, but when Bass was there, it seemed like they purposely tried to be even more clingy. Needless to say, it pissed him off. 

No, Bass wasn't jealous. 

Yes, some of the girls talking to Blues were quite pretty. And yes, Bass could  _ totally _ see why Blues caught their attention.

The biggest concern he had over this whole thing was if Blues would leave him. Between potential friends or girlfriends approaching him, it wouldn't surprise Bass if he was brushed to the side. Yet in the end, none of that happened. In fact, he would soon find out that Blues wouldn't let that happen.

“Bass, I need help.”

Bass turned away from whatever mindless assignment Mr Storm had given the class, eyeing Blues warily.

“What is it..?”

“Is there anywhere I can hide from… ya know,  _ Them? Those people?” _

Bass felt himself grin with a small huff of laughter.

“I know a few places.” He paused. “What lunch do you have?”

“Um, ‘A’ lunch-”

“Skip lunch and meet me in the arts hallway.”

Blues rose his eyebrows, quiet in thought before answering.

“Well… If you say so, sure.”

 

Once ‘A’ lunch rolled around, Bass had study hall at that time, which was always easy to skip. He waited at the corner of the hallway for Blues, who -as always- was easy to spot in the crowd. Bass spoke a simple “follow me” before they made their way down the hall. They passed the various art classes, but just before the music rooms, Bass turned to a small deadend hall that branched off from the main walkway. Blues watched silently as he pulled out a key from his pocket, checking if the coast was clear as he approached one of the private bathrooms along the wall and unlocked it. Bass quickly ushered Blues inside before hastily shutting and locking the door behind him. He let out a breath.

“Only the music teachers use these restrooms, but they both have classes right now, so we should be fine.”

Blues nodded, lazily spinning on his heel as he took in his surroundings. He froze when he saw his reflection.

“Um, why is there a  _ giant _ mirror on the wall..?”

“I'm pretty sure those are for the theater kids… I think.”

Blues simply hummed in response before leaning against the wall, only to slide down and sit on the tiled floor. Bass joined him.

“How did you get a key here in the first place?”

He glanced up at Blues with a devious smirk. They were close enough that Bass could just barely see his eyes, which met his gaze evenly before shifting away.

“... You stole it.”

“Bingo.”

Bass looked at the key in his hand for a moment before continuing.

“It's not like it matters though, they always have extras. In fact,” Bass held the key between his fingers before offering it to Blues. “Take it.”

He watched as multiple emotions ran across the boys face. Shock, confusion, curiosity, and possibly concern? Seeing the shape of Blues’ eyes really showed just how expressive he could be under those shadows. His hand rose to take the key, but hesitated, glancing back at Bass nervously.

“What about you?”

Bass had a feeling he knew what he was implying.

“I don't need it. Besides, I have other hiding places I can retreat to. And even if I wanted to come back here, I could just steal another key. No problem. Just take it.”

Blues stared at him for a few seconds longer before doing as he was told. 

“Thanks, I, um… I appreciate it.”

Bass looked away as a small smile somehow made its way onto his lips.

“Yeah, whatever…”

The two then fell into silence, but unfortunately, it was the opposite of comfortable. Rather it was almost suffocating… Bass’ mind blanked as he had no idea what to talk about, till luckily Blues broke the air.

“I nearly forgot to tell you.” Bass looked up at Blues curiously, who in turn grinned excitedly. “My dad leaves for a work trip on Thursday and won't be back till Monday, so we can finally hang out again, I mean, if you want to.”

Bass rose his eyebrows.

“Is that even a question?” He couldn't hold back a grin of his own. “I'll take any excuse to get out of my house, and I imagine you would too.”

Blues’ let out a light chuckle, directing his gaze to the wall across from them.

“You're really starting to get to know me.”

“Well, yeah. Isn't that part of being friends?”

Blues’ gaze lowered to the ground, eyes crinkling slightly when he smiled.

“I still can't believe we're friends…”

Bass turned away when he felt his expression soften. Meanwhile Blues continued. “Even though it's basically forbidden between our families, I'm still… Thankful. Excited even. But also scared.”

Bass suddenly felt a pit in his stomach, anxiety creeping in the back of his mind. He knew  _ exactly  _ what Blues was talking about.

“I understand… Zero knows we're friends, and I thought he would have said something to Wily by now, but he hasn't, and I don't know why!” He turned to Blues, mildly distressed. “Zero is  _ always  _ finding ways to put himself above me, and he could easily blackmail me with our friendship. Yet he hasn't taken advantage of that.”

Blues finally met his eyes, his concerned look met the small, rare spark of fear in Bass’. 

“What would happen if Wily found out?”

Bass sighed. Should he tell him? Was it too soon? If he did, would someone else find out and force him away from everything he knew?

… No.

Despite having his scars, being clear proof of physical assault  _ on his face,  _ Wily was clever enough to twist the perception on any situation, even against abuse. So if Blues knew, and if he tried to help him, it wouldn't make a damn difference.

So what would Wily do if he found out? Bass scoffed.

“I would be punished. Probably as intense as  _ this.” _

He gestured idly to the scars on his face, watching Blues’ eyes widen in pure shock as the realization hit him.

“Bass..!”

Said boy looked away, annoyed, anticipating the pity he was about to receive.

“Bass,  _ please  _ don't tell me you're not implying that… That  _ Wily  _ did that to you.”

“... Don't tell anyone.”

“But-”

_ “I said don't!”  _

Bass winced slightly when he saw Blues flinch. “Sorry, It's just… Even if Wily got accused, he's a mastermind when it comes to avoiding the justice system. Your help wouldn't do anything to stop him.”

In the following silence, Blues stared rather intensely at Bass before finally speaking.

“Fine… But even then, I'm still going to help you.” 

Bass brow furrowed. What the fuck was he talking about?

“Um, how..?”

Blues responded with his dumbass dorky smile, which instead of annoying, now seemed oddly comforting.

“I'll be there for you. If something happens, text me, and I'll do whatever I can to help.”

_ … !!! _

Bass, speechless and deep-down touched, nodded dumbly before finding his voice again.

“I- uh... Yeah, I-I- well… Umm..?” Bass paused, glaring when he heard Blues trying not to laugh at his stuttering. “Shut up, you fucking hipster. I'm  _ trying _ to thank you!”

Blues made what suspiciously sounded like a giggle. 

“You could have simply said  _ thank you.” _

“Whatever, shut up, besides,” Bass regained his composure upon realizing something. “Dr Cossack… He also offered me help.”

Blues’ eyebrows rose.

“What, really? When did he do that?”

“... Remember the second day of school?”

“When I pissed you off so you pinned me against the wall?” Blues scoffed. “Yeah, how could I forget  _ that.” _

Bass smirked, narrowing his eyes at Blues in a (dare he say) seductive way.

“Uh-huh, I bet you liked it~”

_ “-Bass!!” _

He did nothing to hold back his laughter as Blues hid his red face in his scarf, words muffled as he spoke.

_ “That is NOT true!” _

“Why would you lie to me? I thought we were friends!”

Bass spoke mockingly while Blues lowered his scarf just enough to shoot him an unimpressed glare.

_ “Can you go back to what you were saying before?! About Cossack?” _

Bass rolled his eyes.

“Can you take your dumb scarf off your face first?”

_ “Why should I? Besides, it's your fault my face is red.” _

“Oh for fucks sake-!”

Bass reached over and yanked the rim of his scarf down, followed by a bewildered yelp from Blues. Though he recovered faster than Bass thought he would, grabbing his hand and twisting it.

“Ow! Hey!”

“Serves you right.”

Blues let him go and went back to gripping the hem of his scarf, though he didn't bring it up to cover his face this time. Meanwhile Bass briefly shook the pain out of his hand and continued.

“Whatever, anyways, Dr Cossack… After you left, he told me how he was willing to help in rough situations, or something like that.”

“Well,” Blues thought for a moment. “If you want my opinion, you can trust him.”

“... Why's that?”

Blues gave him a small smile.

“Because I trust him. I've known Cossack my whole life.”

Bass’ gaze flicked away. He wanted to argue, but at the same time, there was an annoying urge of hope that was too strong to resist. Bass wanted to trust Blues, and if that meant doing the same for Dr Cossack, he would certainly try. 

“Hmph, yeah alright. I’ll trust you.”

Bass pretended not to notice the way Blues was smiling at him. Though the lack of conversation became insufferable, Bass side eyed the boy in shades suspiciously.

“Why’re you lookin’ at me like that..?”

“You said you trust me.”

He rose an eyebrow.

“Yeah, and?”

Blues’ smile widened as he turned his head away.

“It's nothing. Don't think about it.”

Bass let out a hmph.

“Weirdo.”

“... Dramaqueen.”

“Shit-wit.”

“Dumbass.”

He gave Blues a challenging stare. So that's how it was gonna be, huh?!

“Bitchass!”

“Dipshit.”

“Fuckface.”

“Fuckboy.”

“Hosenscheisser.”

Blues broke their flow with a laugh, giving Bass a nervous -but amused- glance.

“Do I wanna know what that means?”

“Well,” Bass started to smirk. “Do you want the regular or literal translation?”

“... Both?”

“Basically, I just called you a coward.” Blues nodded, and Bass grinned. “But it literally means pants-shitter.”

Blues stared blankly at Bass for a few long seconds before averting his gaze, using his scarf to muffle his laughter, a habit that Bass was starting to notice. Why did Blues try to hide himself so much? Well, he would find out later, because Bass was sick of steering their conversations to personal topics. There was only so much of that he could take in one day. 

And after talking about his scars? Yeah… That was the limit. 

Instead, he went on to tease him further.

“Wow Blues, I didn't realize your sense of humor was so basic.”

Said boy gave him a look that radiated ‘are you kidding me right now..?’ All while maintaining that amused grin.

“Hey, it's totally  _ not  _ basic humor. And besides, it wasn't only the translation that was funny, it was your presentation.”

Bass rose an eyebrow.

“The fuck is that supposed to mean?-”

_ R i n g ! ! ! _

Despite the bell ringing, Blues still elaborated as they got up to go to their next class. 

“When you told me the literal translation, you gave me this cocky grin that made it seem like you were about to say the coolest thing ever, but then you literally said a shit joke. _ ”  _

Bass smiled and rolled his eyes when Blues laughed again, making their way out of the restroom into the crowded hallway.

“Whatever, hipster boy. Besides, what if hosenscheisser  _ is  _ the coolest thing ever?”

Blues sent him a smirk.

“But you just told me that was basic humor-”

“Shut up! Let me prove a point!”

Blues faced forwards again with a grin.

“You can't prove a point when you don't have one to begin with, dumbass.”

Bass elbowed Blues hard enough to make him stumble, but not enough to wipe that dorky smile off his face. Bass gave him an exaggerated, pointed look.

“Don't fuck with me, man. I can beat the shit outta you.”

“You say that like it's gonna stop me. I'll fuck with everyone.”

Bass gave him a devious grin, fake disgust laced his voice.

“Eww, seriously? That's just damn nasty, I didn't know you were a  _ fuckboy.” _

“What the hell are y-- wait  _ no!  _ That's not what I meant and you know it!”

Bass laughed at the way Blues voice rose in pitch when he tried to defend himself.

“You sure? Cause’ you got a lot of admirers.”

“Oh  _ please,”  _ He swore he could hear Blues roll his eyes. “They're the least interesting people I've ever met, and that's saying a lot. I've met  _ plenty  _ of bland hospital nurses.” He paused. “Okay, some of the nurses are worse, but still.”

Bass stared at him for a moment before facing forwards again, speaking when he organized his thoughts.

“So… You're not gonna, I don't know, find other friends that are more, um… Stable?”

“What? No, Bass…” His voice grew softer. “You're great, don't put yourself down like that.”

“Hey, I know how great I am, but no one seems to really notice.”

“I do.”

“... What?”

That stupid smirk was back on his face before he went to enter his next class.

“You heard me.”

“…”

_ … … ... _   
  


**~~ Later: 8:00 PM ~~**

Bass couldn't sleep.

It wouldn't be the first time, but this felt different than any moment before. His mind kept playing and replaying everything Blues told him, and one statement stood out from all the others.

_ “I'll be there for you.” _

It made Bass feel… Fuck. He had no idea! It was overwhelming to even think about, but his dumbass mind wouldn't shut up about it. Has it really been that long since someone cared about him? The last person that came to mind was his mother, and she disappeared when he was eight.

Dammit…

He missed her so much.

It didn't help that Zero believes she's dead, and that Wily refuses to talk about her. After all, that was how Bass got his scars in the first place, because Wily refused to get sensitive and talk about it. Instead, he got furious when Bass demanded him for answers two years after her absence. It was a scene that would never die, and it always resurfaced in the silence.

 

_ “Bass, I don't think this will end well-” _

_ “Shut up, Zero! I'm getting my answers.” _

He grimaced, hating how the voices of a memory could be so loud...

_ “-If you're smart, like your brother, you won't say another word.” _

_ “I'm smart enough to know that you have been hiding the truth!”  _

He turned on his side, half burying his face in a pillow.

_ “She's gone, Bass. You're never going to see her again. So drop. The. Subject.” _

“No…” Bass’ voice was muffled as he tried to fend off the scene that toyed with his thoughts. Yet it kept playing.

_ “Fine! If you won't tell me, maybe the police will!--” the scream that followed echoed through the entire house. _

He squeezed his eyes shut. A shiver went down his spine when Bass was reminded of the sensation of being paralyzed. Powerless.

_ “You will only be loyal to me, do you understand?! I'll make you understand!!”  _

_ He couldn't move _

Bass felt his breathing quicken ever so slightly, burying his face deeper into his pillow.

_ “I will make sure you never forget this lesson…” Suddenly his father was holding a knife and walking towards him--- _

He held his breath.

...

 

No.

Bass  _ wasn't  _ about to relive the whole memory. He could already feel tears stinging at the corners of his eyes, subconsciously bringing a hand to his face. Bass let it rest lightly on the scars under his eyes, slowly tracing the groves, and wishing they could disappear.

Fuck… Why couldn't he just forget?!

Wait.

He could.

Bass threw aside his bed covers and made his way downstairs, Treble following silently behind him. He went into the kitchen and opened the fridge, scanning over whatever alcohol Wily kept, and took only the strongest content. After lightly kicking the door closed, Bass settled himself at the kitchen table.

He began to drink, and he began to forget.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaasdfghjkl;--


	10. Bittersweet Brotherhood

 

**Warning: Symptoms of PTSD are present in this chapter**

 

**Zero’s POV**

 

Zero hated being home almost as much as Bass did. Why? Because Wily scared the shit out of him, that's why. Though not a soul knew that, and Zero planned to keep it that way. He was a master at hiding his feelings and sensitivity, and if he was going to survive in his father's household, Zero needed to live up to every set standard. 

Though there were rare exceptions when he let his guard down. 

Say for instance, when he was alone, or every time he caught Bass wasted. When Zero came home around 10:00 PM, he was immediately bombarded with the stench of alcohol. 

_ Bass… Not again… _

As he reached the kitchen, he was greeted with the sad sight of his younger brother, hunched over the table -head down- and loosely gripping a half empty bottle of whatever-the-fuck. Treble was laying at his feet, head lifting when he noticed Zero.

“... Bass?”

Said boy hummed in response, not moving from his position. Zero sighed.

“Bass, vater wird bald zu hause sein.”

[Dad will be home soon]

“Ja?” His voice sounded drained. “Es ist mir egal.”

[Yeah? I don't care.]

Bass finally lifted his head to meet Zero’s gaze, which softened at the sight. Rusty eyes were bloodshot with dark circles underneath, and his hair was a mess, but not in his usual stylish way. His expression was void, eyes glazed in a drunken haze. Overall, Bass just looked defeated, which was concerning if one knew how headstrong he was. Zero slowly made his way over to him. He cautiously removed the bottle from Bass’ loose grip, growing more concerned when he didn't even fight back. Zero returned it to the fridge before approaching him, he took a breath.

“Come on. Let's get you upstairs.”

Bass’ expression morphed into one of confusion.

“Why d’you care? You… You never care.”

His words were sluggish, making Zero contemplate if speaking German would be easier for him to handle at the moment. Yet at the same time, Bass was better at English than Zero was, so he wasn't entirely sure what came more naturally. He decided to continue in English.

“Because if dad finds you like this, he won't be very forgiving.”

Bass simply let out a “hmph” and nothing more. Typical stubbornness.

“Fine then,” Zero said, getting impatient. “I'll carry you if I have to.”

“Don't you dare…”

Though Zero ignored his warning, knowing Bass was too wasted to put up a fight (much less walk on his own.) He easily lifted the boy into his arms and made his way towards the staircase, Treble following. Though he was met with weak attempts of getting pushed away.

“Nooo, Zeroooo..! Lemme’ down, you… You prissy bitch!”

Zero rolled his eyes at Bass’ whining and continued up the stairs and into his brother's room. He maneuvered around whatever clothes and such were tossed carelessly on his floor, then setting Bass down on his bed. Said boy adjusted himself to a sitting position on the edge of the mattress, elbows resting on his knees and forehead resting in his hands, posture hunched over. Zero sat next to him.

“... You feeling okay?”

“No.”

He rolled his eyes. That was certainly helpful...

“Can you be more specific?”

It took Bass a moment to answer, it was then Zero noticed how abnormal his breathing was.

“I feel… I feel sick.”

_ Fuck. _

“I'm grabbing you a bucket. Don't you dare puke yet.”

With that, Zero ran to the bathroom and opened up the storage closet. Sure enough a bucket was there. He grabbed it and bolted back to Bass, who luckily hasn't thrown up… Yet. His brother took the bucket and held it loosely, though after a few minutes of silent anticipation, nothing happened..? Zero took that as a cue to start talking again. He wanted some answers. 

“Bass, why were you drinking?”

Bass merely shrugged, giving the older of the two a side-eyed glare.

“What's it t’you?”

“I want to know.”

“No.”

Zero let out a noise of frustration. Why did Bass have to be  _ so damn stubborn!  _ It drove him crazy.

“Bass, I want to know why you keep hurting yourself like this!”

His glare softened, eyes dropping down to the floor. Zero waited patiently for an answer, hoping the alcohol in his system made him more willing to talk. Finally, Bass sighed.

“I was tryin’ to forget something. A bad memory.”

Zero had a feeling he knew exactly what his brother was referring to. Something he wanted to burn from his mind as well. Just remembering it, watching it happen, powerless and mortified… A rush of sympathy ran through Zero, and he tenderly pulled Bass against him in a side-hug. His voice was only a whisper when he spoke.

_ “Why were you thinking about it...” _

Bass was went stiff at the rare affection, though he eventually gave into it, likely too tired to protest. The tension eased from his body as he leaned into Zero's embrace  and stared blankly in front of him. He looked so sad...

“I don't- I don't know… It just started playing in my mind. I could hear everything that happened- but I don't know why I-” He paused. “Wait. I do know. It was Blues. I mentioned something about my scars, and Wily. Today? Yesterday? I can't… I don't remember.”

Zero's eyes widened. _No one_ was supposed to know about that. It was their family's biggest secret, and most dangerous. But now someone else knew, and a child of Light no less. Though that “child of Light” was his brother's first friend… His _best_ friend.

And from what Zero has seen, Blues was… 

Odd. 

Come to think of it, Bass and Blues’ friendship in general was an odd mix. Bass being a loud-mouthed extrovert while Blues seemed to be a snarky introvert. Yet overall, their friendship just miraculously worked. He only ever gets to see them interact in gym, but so far, they're inseparable. Always talking. Always messing with each other. Always side by side (even though Blues can't participate in class.) 

So… Could Zero trust Blues to keep his mouth shut? If word got out, Wily would be arrested, and Bass would likely be put in the foster system. Though Zero was eighteen, was he allowed to have custody over his own brother? How does any of that stuff work? He still felt like a lost teenager sometimes, not ready for  _ that _ big of a responsibility. The whole situation stressed him out. 

So yeah, he had to trust Blues, because if Bass trusted him enough to talk about his scars, then… Maybe Zero could too.

Maybe.

“Zero?”

Said boy was pulled from his thoughts, glancing down at his younger brother.

“Hmm?”

“Why does dad hate me.”

Zero felt his heart drop, tightening his hold on Bass and averting his gaze.  _ That _ came out of nowhere, though he should have expected as much. He knew a few answers to that question, unfortunately… All through observation.

“Because, well…” 

Oh dammit, how was he supposed to break this to him?! He had to be honest, but Zero didn't want to hurt Bass more on top of all he's been through. Still, he never remembered anything the morning after nights when he got drunk…

Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to continue.

“I think you remind him of mom.”

Zero could feel him tense, taking a moment to answer.

“How?”

He sighed.

“Bass… You look  _ so much _ like her. Your eyes, your skin, your hair. You even dress like she did, and…” 

“And what..?”

“... Your passion. When mom set her mind to something, she was dedicated to it till completion. No matter how far fetched the goal was, or the judgement.” Zero sent a small smile to Bass, who was listening with wonder in his unfocused eyes. “You've always been the same way.”

When Bass let himself smile slightly (which was always a rare sight,) Zero felt a wave of relief. 

“I… I s’pose that makes sense. How else are we samer?”

_ “Pfft-!” _

Zero couldn't hold back his laughter at Bass’ error. 

“I think you mean  _ similar-” _

“That's what I said!”

“Nope. No more English for you, wir fahren auf deutsch fort.”

[We continue in German.]

Bass let out a huff.

“Beantworte meine frage.”

[Just answer my question]

Zero rolled his eyes.

“Ja, ja, Ich werde. Sei geduldig.”

[Yeah yeah, I will. Be patient.]

For a good thirty minutes, maybe even an hour, Zero reminisced to Bass about their mother. Similarities, stories, memories, anything he could think of to fill the air. It was the only topic of conversation that seemed to get a positive reaction from Bass. At least, until Zero though of one other that could merit the same reaction…

“So, how's your friendship with Blues going?”

“I thought we weren't speakin’ English..?”

Zero snickered.

“Honestly Bass, you can't seem to speak any language correctly right now. So anyways, about Blues.”

Bass let out a hmph before answering his question.

“Yeah? What ‘bout him?”

“How are you two getting along?”

“Why d’you care?!”

Zero took a breath to calm his impatience with the boy. 

“Because it's rare to see you get along with anyone.”

“... Fine. ‘Vhatever, he's a smartass, but he understands me.”

Zero rose his eyebrows. If Blues “understands Bass,” then was the Light family also hiding some dark secret? That would be… Interesting…

“And like, he's really nice to me,” Bass continued, likely unaware of the tone of admiration in his voice. A detail that didn't go unnoticed by Zero. “He doesn't do it out of pity, ‘cause he knows how that feels. He said he would help me, that he  _ wants  _ to help me.” Bass’ voice was getting softer and less focused. Hints of an accent hung on his vowels. “Blues sees how hard I try, and acknowledges it. He listens to my rants, he defends me… He even chooses me over his admirers.”

In the pause of silence, Zero took this information, analyzed it, and debated whether or not he should say what he was thinking. The words came out anyways.

“Bass,” Zero spoke slowly, meeting the hazy eyes of his younger brother. “Do you have a crush on Blues.”

There was no sign of a reaction as Bass took in the question, that sounded more like an accusation, really… Zero waited anxiously for an answer, afraid if he said yes.

“... No? Why would I? He's my  _ friend,  _ not boyfriend, dumbass.”

Zero could feel the tension release from his shoulders.

“Hey, you can't blame me for asking, judging by the way you talk about him.”

“Look, just ‘cause Blues is a mildly attractive great friend,  _ doesn't  _ mean I got a crush on him.”

He let out an amused laugh.

“I'm sorry, but did you just call your  _ friend  _ attractive?”

“Are you fucking deaf?! I said  _ mildly  _ attractive. And a lot of your friends say you're attractive for some reason, so don't give me shit!”

Zero grinned.

“No need to get so defensive, I was just teasing. But I'm curious,” there was a mischievous gleam in his eyes. He knew Bass would never be willing to answer this sober. “What do you find attractive about him?”

“Uh, well… I dunno, it depends. Sometimes he's hot, like a total dumbass, and sometimes he's cute, ‘cause he's such a fuckin’ dork sometimes.”

Zero had to bite the inside of his mouth to keep a straight face. Yeah, Bass would die before admitting something like this sober. 

“Aww, Bass, how  _ sweet~” _

“Shuddup. He's not the only person I've found attractive.”

“True, but still, he clearly means a lot to you. And that's saying a lot.”

Bass didn't seem to have a comeback to that, so they sat in silence. It was actually  peaceful, that is until the sound of the garage door opening cut through the night. Bass and Zero glanced at each other.

Wily was home.

Zero moved quickly, forcing Bass to lay down, ignoring the look of protest he was receiving. He took the bucket that was still held loosely in Bass’ hands and set it on the floor next to him. (If he didn't puke now, he was definitely going to when he woke up.) He then tugged the blanket Treble was laying on out from under him and tossed it onto Bass, earning a tired glare from the dog. The weariness seemed to have caught up to his brother as he lay there. His eyes were shut and his body lax. Zero couldn't tell if he was already asleep or not. 

_ -Slam!- _

His body jerked, eyes widening when he realized Wily was inside now. Zero felt the panic rise up. The stench of alcohol likely still lingered in the air downstairs, and it wouldn't go unnoticed. Though it was too late to cover up the evidence.

He sighed, staring at Bass a few seconds longer, taking in how peaceful he looked, and tried to convince himself that he would be safe. He had to be…

With adrenaline piloting his brain, Zero leaned down and placed a light kiss to Bass’ forehead before fleeing to the sanctuary of his own room across the hall. Once there, Zero closed the door behind him as quietly as he could, sinking to a sitting position and leaning against the wood surface. When he heard footsteps trudging up the stairs, Zero held his breath. His whole body was tense as he waited for Wily to go past their rooms and up to his own, which was in the attic. 

So when the footsteps ceased in the space between the brothers rooms, Zero felt his hands start to tremble.

_ Don't go in Bass’ room don't go in Bass’ room don't go in Bass’ room--!! _

Bass’ door creaked open…

Zero froze, he didn't know what to do. His heartbeat was pounding in his ears, it felt like his throat was closing off any air flow. So Zero waited, remaining as still as possible so the floorboards underneath him wouldn't creak. All while trying to pick up whatever he could to decipher what his father was doing--

_ -click- _

… Bass’ door closed.

The footsteps resumed their march past Zero’s room and up the next staircase. It wasn't until Wily's door shut that he let his shoulders slacken. Though he was still shaking, maybe even more than before. So when the hotness behind his eyes gave way, Zero wasn't surprised. He drew his knees to his chest and rested his forehead against them. He watched his tears of stress and relief pattered onto his shorts. 

Yet most of all, they were tears of sorrow.

Once Zero's mind went back to Bass, he started to cry harder, but still remaining as silent as he could. It all wasn't fair. Bass was reckless, but he sure as hell didn't deserve to pay such an intense price for being so emotionally driven. At the same time, Zero couldn't help but blame himself for how Bass turned out. He could have done something to help his brother over the years. 

Zero squeezed his eyes shut, covering his mouth as he tried to repress a sob. The fact that Bass was still traumatized enough to nearly drink himself to death on a regular basis was heartbreaking. Along with that, when the two brothers actually spent time talking on nights like this, then immediately going back to “hating” each other the next day… It was really starting to take a toll on Zero. He wasn't sure how much longer he could keep up the act.

His shoulders trembled as he took a shaky sigh, finally standing up and wiping the tear tracks off his face, only for more to follow. He walked over to his bed and laid down, pulling the covers over him and plugging his phone in to charge. Zero felt his breathing steady as he stared at the wall. If there was one hope for his brother, it was Blues. And in a similar sense, Zero had a feeling that Bass acted as the same thing for the boy in shades.

He felt the tension in his body ease at the thought. Yes… As long as they stuck together, Bass could start living life again rather than fighting it. 

 

So tomorrow, Zero had a plan…

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My old German teacher would be so disappointed that I used google translate for some of the dialog lol sorryyy


	11. Blues' "Small" Crush

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hehehe Blues has a crushhh~
> 
> Bass is oblivious, and Zero Knows All

 

****_ D i n g … _

Blues turned his head to where his phone lay on his bed, he couldn't imagine who would be texting him this early. He finished tying his shoe before checking his messages, only to feel excited when he saw it was from Bass. 

**_Hey I'm not gonna be at school today._ **

Blues' excitement shifted to worry. That would mean he would have to face the day completely alone… He did that already on the first day, but that was something different. Plus despite being preferably independent, Blues still felt safer with Bass around. He really enjoyed his company. Concerned, Blues responded.

_ Are you alright? Did something happen?? _

**_No to both. I'm just really hungover. Don't worry about it._ **

He felt a pang in his heart.

_ Ya know you can talk to me when you're feeling down… _

**_Yeah… It didn't cross my mind at the time. I guess I'm still not used to this whole friendship thing._ **

_ Sorry _

**_???_ **

**_About what?_ **

Blues sighed as he typed out his response.

_ I'm not a good enough friend _

 

_ ~Bzzzt Bzzzt Bzzzt~ _

_ ~Receiving a call from Bass~ _

 

Blues looked down at his phone, startled. This was unexpected… Confused, he answered.

"Uh, what's u-"

"If you ever doubt yourself again, I'll punch your fucking teeth out!"

He froze, then blinked. Blues probably should have seen an argument coming when he said that. Yet even then, he wasn't expecting Bass to get so worked up about it. Blues couldn't see why he would. He knew he could be doing better as a friend, especially when literally his  _ only _ friend was hurt. He didn't want Bass to defend him right now.

"Bass I-”

"No, shut up! I don't wanna hear your excuses! You saying you're not good enough- it's… It's-!! Why the hell would you think that?!"

Blues was taken aback. Bass sounded so hurt, and he had no idea why. It wasn't like him to get so invested in other's emotions.

"Bass, what happened? Why-"

"Don't change the subject!"

"I'm not trying to! I just want to know what's wrong."

There was an irritated sigh on the other end.

"I don't want to talk about it. But let's just say I had a rough night, and I'm really sick. You're kinda the only person keeping me sane, so you have no right to feel bad about yourself.”

"I see… but, uh," Blues wasn't sure how to word this. "Why are you mad at me?"

"Blues, I'm not mad at you." He sounded exasperated. "I'm mad at your low self-esteem. There's a difference."

"But why-?"

"Okay, stop. You literally said that you're not a good enough friend, when really you've gone beyond my expectations. I honestly thought you were gonna leave me once other people took an interest in you, but you're still here. And I… uh…" Bass trailed off, mumbling his next statement. "It really means a lot, I guess… You somehow gained my trust."

If they were face to face right now, Blues wouldn't be able to stop himself from hugging him. He knew it didn't sound like much, but for Bass of all people to say something like that… It was enough to make Blues' heart beat faster. He started to fidget.

"Umm? Hello?" Bass' voice snapped him out of his trance.

"I-- sorry, I'm just… I'm speechless." Blues closed his eyes. "Hearing you say all of that, it's really comforting, and unexpected, a-and kind." His eyes opened. "But I still know I could-"

"Don't you finish that thought, hipster boy. We're both completely inexperienced at friendship. Stop giving yourself such high standards."

Once again words evaded him, and Bass waited for a response.

"You're giving me too much credit…"

He heard a scoff on the other end.

"More like you're not giving yourself enough credit, but whatever." Bass paused, voice suddenly softer. "Why do you even think you're a shitty friend in the first place?"

Blues felt his shoulders slump, gaze lowering.

"I… You said you weren't okay, so you turned to alcohol. But if I made a better impression as…" Pink dusted his cheeks. "As someone who cares about you, maybe you wouldn't be sick right now."

The silence on the other end made Blues want to throw up. He hoped what he said didn't sound too obvious… After all, spending the past month with Bass sparked something that he desperately wanted to get rid of. 

That something was a small crush. 

The only reason why it was a  _ small  _ crush was because Blues didn't want to break Bass' heart. His health was bad enough as it is, and if someone loved him… Blues wouldn't be able to forgive himself for giving them grief before he dies. 

So the fact that Bass was the subject of his feelings, it made Blues try his hardest to keep his cool. Hoping soon that said feelings would disappear. Though he didn't know how long he could hold up an act like this, especially to his best friend.

Bass' voice finally responded.

"Blues, don't blame yourself for my stupid mistakes. I chose alcohol because it was the quickest way to forget."

"... To forget what?"

"I- umm…" Bass hesitated. "A bad memory. I'll just- I'll tell you later." 

Blues sighed. He really wished they were face to face right now. 

"Alright… But like, you will talk to me about what's hurting you, right? I mean don't feel forced-"

He was cut off by a small laugh. Blues couldn't help but smile.

"Blues, stop worrying so much. I'll tell you everything when we hang out at the end of the week. In the meantime, think about what I said. Because if I hear you talking shit on yourself again, I will  _ actually  _ fight you! Or… Ya know, something like that."

Blues smile widened. He could feel his previous concern fading away.

"Wow, smooth."

"Oh fuck off."

"But uh, seriously though, thanks… See ya tomorrow..? Hopefully?"

He silently cringed at how desperate his voice sounded. Luckily, Bass didn't seem to notice.

"Yeah, I'll be there. Even though school sucks ass, it's better than home. Hell, Zero is the one who's basically making me stay in bed today, for some fucking reason." Bass huffed. "Well, I mean- I  _ did  _ puke three times already, but still. Why would Zero care?" 

"You puked  _ three times  _ this morning?!"

"It's less than last time."

Blues rolled his eyes. How comforting...

"Just-- take care of yourself, alright? I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah yeah… See ya later, hipster boy."

Blues felt himself blush as he hung up. That nickname… Sometimes Bass would say it in a way that gave it a flirty tone, and it drove him crazy. Blues was almost certain it wasn't meant to be perceived that way. And if it was? He was fucked.

Blues sighed. He hoped today would go by quickly...

 

~~~

Gym hasn't even started yet when he saw Zero walking his way, near-knee length hair pulled back, flowing behind him, and his eyes were locked on Blues. Despite having the same icy eyes as Roll, his were colder, and much more intimidating. So when Zero stopped in front of him, Blues couldn’t help but feel inferior at the intense stare he was receiving.

“I need to talk to you. Alone.” 

_ Damn.  _

He was starting to understand what gossipers were talking about when they said Zero was the most attractive guy in school. Now that they were face to face, Blues couldn’t help but agree on some level. He was tall, had a very strong presence of ‘pretty boy energy,’ and there was something about his voice... It was calm, but confident enough to make an impression. Yet it also happened to carry a faint accent. It was something that Blues wasn’t expecting, since Bass nearly had no accent at all.

He tried his hardest to stay focused when he answered.

“Yeah, alright… Where do you wanna talk?”

“The locker room, once class starts.” His eyes surveyed across the gym. “I’m gonna tell Mr Stag that we’re here. I’ll meet you down there.”

With that, Zero jogged over to where the teacher stood, leaving Blues to make his way to the locker room. Though as he left the gym, he couldn’t help but notice a few people who were staring at them during that exchange. They were likely as bewildered as Blues felt. He wondered if he did something wrong, or if Zero was going to tell him to stay away from Bass. 

_ No way… _

From what Bass has told him, Zero doesn’t care what he does. Even if he did tell Blues to stay away, it would take a lot to keep them separated. He sighed as he leaned against the wall. Blues waited a few minutes for the locker room to empty before going in. He walked down one of the rows of red lockers before sitting on a bench in the middle of the aisle, feeling tense as he waited for Zero. It didn’t take long for the door to screech open again. Blues lifted his head to watch Zero settle at the other end of the bench, bringing his hair to rest over his shoulder before facing him.

“Alright. Before you freak out at me, I know your name is Blues- don’t ask! It’s an answer as simple as the fact that Bass doesn’t have a very good indoor voice when he talks to you on the phone.” 

Blues was already at a loss of what he should question Zero about. There was so much he could ask, but now there could be so much he already knew. He blurted out a response.

“Do you eavesdrop our conversations?”

“Not intentionally.”

Blues stared at him with suspicion, while Zero met his shadowed gaze evenly. It was kind of intimidating…

“Anyways,” Zero continued. “I’m getting to the point. Bass told you something that you can’t tell  _ anyone.  _ And I’m deadly serious about that, because you’ll be putting Bass, me, and yourself in danger if you don’t keep quiet.”

Blues was silent for a moment before it finally clicked. His eyes widened.

“You mean Bass’ scars, and Wily..!”

Zero looked away with a pained expression.

“Yeah, it’s…” He broke off in a bitter laugh. “I’m sorry you got dragged into this. It’s such a fucking mess…”

Blues gaze softened when he heard Zero’s voice shake. It made him wonder how all of this affected him over the years. 

“I’m sorry you guys have to live with that... I’m sorry I can’t do much to help.”

Zero bowed his head slightly with a ghost of a smile.

“You’ve already helped us, Blues.” He lifted his gaze. “I don’t think you realize how happy you’ve made Bass. Take it from me, I’ve known him his whole life, and I haven’t seen him this energized in years.”

Blues was stunned. He didn’t feel like he was making an impact at all. Along with that, something still seemed off. Zero said “us,” not just “Bass...”

“That’s-- That’s great to hear, but… Did I hear you right when you referred to yourself for a second?”

“I- yeah, well…” Zero seemed hesitant. “Watching the impacts of your friendship has made me, um… Realize some things.” His voice got quieter as he glanced to the side. “Things I need to fix. I’ve been too inactive.”

Blues responded slowly.

“Does it have to do with why Bass seems to hate you?” 

“Yeah.”

There was a moment of uncomfortable silence. Blues looked away, staring at nothing in particular as his mind went over this new information. Zero didn’t seem to be the person Bass described him as, at least, not anymore. He didn’t know the whole story, but Blues hoped Zero would actually do something to fix the lost trust from his brother. He faced Zero again, breaking the tension. 

“You should talk to Bass about this.”

Zero’s gaze met his in a flash.

“I can’t just tell him. Even if I did, he wouldn’t believe me.”

“But he would believe me.”

Zero shook his head with a grin.

“No, Blues, you shouldn’t do that. I need to fix this, and I know Bass won’t just turn and trust me right away. It will take a while.”

Blues let out a frustrated sigh.

“But I don’t want to keep secrets from him! I don’t-” He hesitated. “I’m afraid of messing up what we have.”

Zero stared at him with analytical eyes. Blues could see the wheels turning in his head, and it made him too nervous to say anything else.

“I see…” Zero spoke carefully. It put Blues on edge. “Well, I’ll attempt to say something to him tonight. After that, it wouldn’t bother me if you talked to him about this.”

Blues nodded, feeling some of the tension release from his shoulders.

His mind traveled back to him and Bass’ last conversation. He wondered if Zero knew anything about the hangover. “By the way, did something happen yesterday? Bass mentioned that he had a rough night."

Zero’s eyes softened.

“I came home last night and found him drunk. This kind of thing has happened before, and every time it does I help him upstairs. I would also try to make sure dad didn't find out, but I think he knew last night. I don’t know, it was unclear.” Zero sighed. He sounded stressed. “Bass seemed to be in a really depressive state. It was heartbreaking.” He lifted his gaze to meet Blues’. “But then he talked about you, and he just kept going and going. I don’t know how to describe it, but it seemed to put him at peace.”

Blues froze. He hoped the heat in his face wasn’t noticeable.

“I- uh- That’s... What did he say about me? Well, I guess it’s not my business-”

He stopped mid-sentence when he saw Zero smirk at him. His heart began to beat faster.

_ He figured it out, didn't he... _

Blues gave Zero a cold stare from under his shades, despite the sense of panic building up in his mind.

“You know.”

Zero rose an eyebrow. He seemed surprised to hear Blues outright say it. The smirk grew into a grin. He felt his blood run cold.

“Nice of you to be upfront about it. I can’t tell you how many times people have lied to me about their obvious crushes-”

“I’m not that obvious, am I?”

Zero laughed, but Blues didn’t find it very funny. He had no idea what his dad would do if he found out his son fell for a boy, much less a  _ Wily.  _ Fuck… Maybe he should have just denied it in the first place. He still didn’t trust Zero completely. 

“Blues, something you should know about me is that I see more than what's on the surface. I probably knew before you did. And I can keep a secret, as long as you don’t break Bass’ heart any more than it already is. Deal?”

Blues felt too flustered to talk, so he nodded in agreement. Zero smiled, and Blues looked away. 

He wanted to faint.

“Good. Also by the way, Bass would probably be the last one to figure out your feelings for him, so you have nothing to 'vorry- ugh-  _ worry,  _ about there.”

Blues ignored Zero’s chuckle when he grabbed his scarf to cover up his blush, mumbling into the fabric.

“I’m starting to see why Bass hates you...”

“I’m starting to see why Bass flirts with you.”

_ “Augh! Shut up!” _ He couldn’t tell if his face was heating up from embarrassment or anger. “It’s not like he knows what he’s doing!”

Zero laughed once again. There was a glint in his icy eyes that wasn’t there before.

“You know what? I was nervous to see Bass befriend a Light, and I’m still afraid of our parents finding out, but I’m glad that you two found each other.”

Blues lowered his scarf, though he didn’t let go of it. 

“Thanks, Zero..." 

However something still felt off, and Blues couldn't help but feel guilty. Bass should be here with Zero, not him. He spoke to the blonde in a voice of warning.

“You better talk to Bass though, because if you don't, I will."

Zero stared at him for a moment before sighing, almost irritably.

"Ja, I know, I get it. But it's just-" he stuttered. "Where would I even begin?!"

Blues had to admit, it was a reasonable question. There was no easy answer to that, but after a minute of thinking, he threw out an idea.

"I don't know… Just tell him the truth. Make it clear you're aware of being in the wrong. That might throw him off guard."

"That..!" Falling short on his protest, he looked away. "Might work. But I have no idea what to say after that."

Blues shrugged.

"You'll figure it out."

"Uh huh. Sure."

He smirked at Zero's sarcastic tone. It reminded him of someone…

In the silence, Blues checked his phone, noticing they had five minutes before the locker rooms would be occupied again. He turned to Zero.

"Should we head back now?"

"Probably." He stood up, moving his hair back over his shoulder. "Let's go."

Blues nodded and stood up, following Zero back to gym. When he fell into step next to him, another question popped into his head.

"Wait, does this count as skipping class? We were in there the whole time- we won't get detention for this, will we?"

Zero glanced down at him and smirked.

"Calm down, Blues, we're fine. Mr Stag doesn't seem to care what you do. And I do so well in his class, he won't mind if I sat out for one day."

"... If you say so."

When they entered the doors to the gym, Blues went to sit in the front row of bleachers while Zero walked over to his group of friends. He turned his attention back to his phone, seeing a few notifications that went unnoticed before. Blues opened them to find thirteen messages from Bass.

**_Hey_ **

**_Blues_ **

**_Where the fuck are you_ **

**_Don't ignore me_ **

**_I'm bored_ **

**_Pick up your damn phone wtf_ **

**_It's been ten minutes come on_ **

**_I'm  b o r e d_ **

**_Blues_ **

**_Hipster_ **

**_Dumbass_ **

**_Come ONNNNNNN_ **

**_Being sick is boring!_ **

**_Bluuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuesssssssssss-_ **

Blues nearly laughed, smiling as he sent back a response.

_ Sorry I kept you waiting _

**_You're not sorry, you're probably smirking like a lil shit right now._ **

**_I know you_ **

**_You can't fool me_ **

_ Fair enough.  _

**_I'm bored_ **

_ I know _

Blues checked the time, he only had a few more minutes till biology.

**_This fuckin sucks I can't do anything_ **

_ Yeah, tell me about it _

**_How do you even deal with it?! You said you get sick a lot, right?_ **

_ I've been sick ever since I was born, so it's something I got used to. _

**_Damn… How did you occupy yourself?_ **

Blues thought for a moment. There were many answers to that.

_ The internet. YouTube. Audiobooks. Music. TV shows. _

_ That's to name a few. _

**_Ugg… What distracts you from pain?_ **

_ Is it bad? _

**_Calm down I'm fine_ **

**_I just have a killer headache_ **

**_And my throat burns_ **

**_And I'm nauseous_ **

_ You call that fine?! _

**_Shit sucks_ **

Blues sighed. This was starting to stress him out a bit. Nonetheless, he answered the previous question.

_ Yeah… Anyways, I normally watch funny videos to ignore pain. Vines, parodies, letsplays, whatever else. It doesn't always help, but sometimes it does. _

_ At the very least it makes me smile. _

**_Yeah alright… I'll try that._ **

Blues stood up when the bell rang.

_ I gotta go to bio, talk to you later. _

_ Don't do anything stupid. _

**_Whatever you say, hipster boy._ **

  
  


**~** 7th period  **~**

  
  


**_So like, you know 'nyah?'_ **

_ Dude I'm in math, shush _

**_That wasn't the right answer_ **

Blues ignored Bass' text and focused on the homework in front of him. How the hell did the foil method work again?

**_Do you not like math or something?_ **

Blues didn't respond, reading over the directions again, only to end up spacing out over and over. He started to get frustrated when he had to keep rereading the same paragraph of complicated math terminology, too distracted by anything that was far more interesting.  _ (Everything  _ was more interesting than the foil method...) 

Giving up on his worksheet, Blues checked his recent messages.

**_Are you in general, academic, or accelerated?_ **

**_I'm great at math, believe it or not_ **

**_Are you ignoring me?? Ruuuuude_ **

He answered back 

_ Yes, I don't like math. I'm in academic. And I'll believe it when I see it. _

_ And sorry for ignoring you, dramaqueen _

**_Call me dramaqueen again and I won't help you, hipster._ **

It didn't even cross his mind that Bass might offer him help. 

_ You would actually help me? _

**_Duh. You're my friend, and I'm good at math._ **

**_What math are you in anyways?_ **

_ Algebra 2, I'm stuck on this foil method review bullshit. _

**_I had Algebra 2 last year. Easy af._ **

_ Good for you _

**_Sheesh, what's with all the attitude today?_ **

Blues wanted to kick himself. He shouldn't direct his negative emotions at Bass. Hell, he barely even realized he was doing it in the first place.

_ I'm sorry, it's just been a long day. Boring, draining, stressful. _

**_Yeah, same here…_ **

**_Uhm,,,_ **

**_You alright?_ **

A ghost of a smile appeared on Blues face.

_ I'll be fine, thanks. It's just weird without you here. People aren't ignoring me like I thought they would. _

**_What?! Who's bothering you?! I'll swear I will fucking b r e a k them_ **

Blues grinned.

_ I appreciate the concern, but it's just that some people haven't been subtle about staring or talking about me. They'll whisper to each other while looking at me. It's mostly harmless, but still annoying. (Especially that flirty group-- Help.) _

**_Wtf I'll fight all of them_ **

_ Well, have fun I guess. _

**_I will!_ **

Blues glanced at the other students, noticing most were done with their worksheet. He ignored how a group of preps turned their heads as soon as Blues looked in their direction. He rolled his eyes. 

How subtle…

_ Can you still help me with math though? _

**_Sure. Bring it to gym tomorrow, I'll help you correct it or something._ **

_ Alright, I can do that. Thanks again, dramaqueen. _

**_S t o p_ **

**_Don't make "dramaqueen" my nickname._ **

_ Well, got anything better? _

**_Yeah._ **

**_But you can't tell anyone._ **

_ Bass, you can trust me. _

It took a while for Bass to respond, leaving Blues curious the whole time. Was it too personal?

_ You don't have to tell me if you don't want to though. _

**_Be patient, I just need to type it out._ **

So he waited… 

Eventually the bell rang and it was time to go to English, which was easily becoming Blues’ favorite class. When he entered Dr Cossack’s classroom, the comforting atmosphere relaxed his mind. Though even then it couldn't bring him total peace, because he was still missing someone today.

Blues sat down at his desk and pulled out his phone. Bass finally responded.

**_My "family" used to call me Forte when I was younger. They stopped after- well, you know my dumbass sob story. But I think It'll be fine if you called me Forte._ **

**_Maybe._ **

**_Idk I'll be the judge of that. It might feel weird._ **

**_As long as no one else knows._ **

Blues couldn't help but feel flattered. He knew Bass wasn't one to share personal stuff like this with people. Hell, there was still a lot that Blues didn't know about him, and frankly, didn't need to know. He was just glad Bass trusted him.

_ I promise I'll be careful. Besides, it's a fitting name, I like it. _

**_You just like it cause it's musical, nerd._ **

Blues smiled.

_ Heh… wasn't that obvious? _

Dr Cossack called attention from the class. Blues hastily sent another text before pocketing his phone.

_ In English. Talk to ya later. _

 

 **~ 11:40 PM** **~**

  
Blues eyes fluttered before squeezing shut again. His body felt stiff.

_ Is it seriously morning already..? _

As his awareness began to focus, Blues noticed his phone was vibrating. Confused, he checked the caller ID, wincing at his screen’s brightness. Blues sluggishly answered it.

“Bass, it’s almost midnight... Why the hell are you-?”

“Blues, you HAVE to hear this, it’s important!”

He held the phone away from his ear for a moment. Once his senses were focused after waking up, it felt like they were dialed up to eleven. It wasn’t pleasant, and Bass’ energy didn’t help with that.

“Shushhh- you’re too loud…”

“... What? Were you sleeping or something?”

“Yeah, actually.”

Bass scoffed before softening his voice slightly.

“Fine, whatever, but don’t hang up on me, cause I need to rant.”

“Okay, alright- hang on a second.”

Blues shifted to a more comfortable position, laying the phone on his pillow and resting his head slightly against it. He closed his eyes, hoping the relaxed adjustment wouldn’t make him fall back asleep…

“M'kay, rant away.”

Bass wasted no time doing so.

“Okay, so I think Zero’s up to something. Out of nowhere he’s trying to get on my good side, like that’s even possible. He kept talking about how he wants to help me, and how he’s treated me more like a rival than a brother, and a bunch of other bullshit. Like, does he seriously think I’m going to trust him after everything he’s done?!  _ He’s  _ the one who got Wily to kick me out multiple times.  _ He’s  _ one of the reasons why everyone at school gives me dirty looks. And he’s asking me to  _ trust him?!  _ Like-!! What the fuck is he even planning?”

Blues thought for a moment, trying to recall his conversation with Zero from gym.

“Zero talked to me in gym about this, too.”

_ “WHAT?” _

“Shhsh..! Apparently he’s been watching us, and said something about how energized you’ve been recently, realizing it's because we're friends and the impact it's had on, uh… Us, or you, or whatever…” He rubbed his eyes. “And I guess it inspired him to be less inactive? 'Cause he wants to see you happy. To be fair, he sounded sincere."

Blues knew he could have answered that better, but his brain was too hazy to make organized statements.

"I'm going to completely sabotage him. I  _ can't _ let him succeed in whatever he's planning." 

Blues sighed. He wished life would cut Bass a break.

"Is there really no ounce of trust between you two?" 

"Hell no."

Blues could hear the stubbornness in his voice.

"Bass-"

"What?"

"Are you sure."

He was met with silence.

_ "Fine,  _ whatever, we have a few truces. That's it."

"... Truces?"

"Um, yeah," Bass hesitated. "Like, ya know- for example, Zero cuts my hair the way I want, as long as I agree to braid his when he wants. Stupid shit like that."

He sounded embarrassed, but it made Blues smile. He was happy that there was at least some peace between the two. It was sweet in a way.

"Roll doesn't trust me to style her hair. I'm terrible at braiding." 

"Can't say I blame her, judging by the way you style yours."

A thought came into Blues' head that made him giggle.

"You should try my style sometime."

Bass' laugh only made his smile grow.

"Nooo fuckin' way, hipster boy. Only you can somehow pull off that fashion disaster look."

"Thanks for the compliment."

"Don't let it get to your head."

"But you just encouraged my fashion choices."

"You call that fashion?"

They continued to bicker back and forth for a bit, Both spoke in a snarky manner. However, Blues words were starting to slur together as his voice became more weary. Their debate halted when Bass pointed it out.

"Blues, you sound tired. You're not making any sense."

"'Mmfine… I wanna keep talkin' t'you."

"We can talk tomorrow."

A small alarm went off in his dazed mind.

"Don't hang up..!" 

"Umm, I wasn't going to." Bass paused. "Blues, are you okay?"

Blues felt a pleasant warmth in his face and heart. He was smiling like an idiot.

"Heh… You're too kind."

"Umm? I'm what?? Blues, you're getting delusional. Go to sleep."

"But-"

_ "Sleep." _

Blues sighed. He liked listening to Bass' voice, it was so soothing. Low, but not too low. Rather it was more of a tenor than a bass. Blues wondered if he realized this…

"Hey, Bass?"

He heard an exasperated sigh on the other end.

"What is it, Blues."

"You e'er notice how your name isn't accurate t'your voice..?"

"Uh, I guess so?"

"Yeah, like… You're more of a tenor."

There was a pause.

"Are you high right now or something?"

"It's not even 4:20 yet. I'm jus' tired is all, ya know?"

Blues could hear Bass trying to hold back his laughter. He could hear the smile in his tone of voice.

"Yeah. Yeah, I know. You're right. Go to sleep, dumbass, you're literally gonna see me in first period. We can talk later."

"Hmph, m'kay fine... G'night, Forte."

He was met with a brief silence on the other end. Blues almost didn't even notice it. He did, however, notice the way Bass' voice softened before he hung up.

"Gute nacht, hipster boy..."

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing slowburn sUCKS ASS- I just wanna write a bunch of cute fluff asdfghhhh
> 
> (I promise they will have fun shenanigans next chapter- bros being bros lmao)


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